VICTORIA—World Champions in their respective race disciplines, Stefan Daniel, Lionel Sanders and Melanie McQuaid, headline a list of seven Canadian triathletes who were recognized by Triathlon Canada as the top elite performers in 2017 with an Excellence Award.
Stefan Daniel (Alberta) was named the overall Elite Triathlete of the Year thanks to his commanding victory at the Para-triathlon World Championships in Rotterdam, NED.
“The goal was to bounce back after Rio last year and get back on the top of the podium. My coaches and I implemented a new approach to training and it paid off,” said Daniel. “I had my ups and downs in racing, but showed signs of improvement throughout the season and was able to cap it off with a world title. I’ve also come to realize how many people you need to achieve successful results in this sport, namely all of my coaches, Triathlon Canada, the Integrated Support Team, my sponsors, and all those who have supported me along the way.”
Lionel Sanders (Ontario) and Melanie McQuaid (British Columbia) were crowned the King and Queen in the Elite Multisport Athlete of the Year categories for men and women after thrilling the hometown crowd at the inaugural World Multisport Festival in Penticton, B.C.
Sanders won the men’s long-distance race, while McQuaid powered her way to the top of the women’s podium in the cross triathlon race.
Training with junior and U23 athletes in Victoria challenges me to set an example for long term high performance habits. This opportunity has made me a better athlete and a better coach,” said McQuaid. “To win in Canada where my training partners, friends, and family could see me perform at my best was an incredible moment. Thanks so much to Mike Brown in Penticton for providing the opportunity, to Kelly Guest for the mentorship, to my Livefit training squad, my family, and my sponsors for their support, and to Triathlon Canada for the recognition.”
National Performance Centre athletes, Joanna Brown (Ontario) and Matt Sharpe (British Columbia), were named Elite Female and Male Triathletes of the Year respectively.
Brown got her season off with a bang, winning her first two career medals on the World Cup circuit. She added a handful of top-10 performances including two fourth-place finishes and a gutsy fifth-place effort at the Grand Final. Brown added one more World Cup podium before the year came to a close.
Matt Sharpe also had a season to remember. The winner of the Aquathlon race at the Multisport World Championships in Penticton, B.C., Sharpe was also a fourth-place finisher at the famed Tiszaujvaros, Hungary World Cup. He added another top-five finish on the World Cup in Spain this fall.
Two baby Canucks also emerged to the top of the Triathlon Canada Nation in 2017. Desirae Ridenour (British Columbia) was named Junior Female Triathlete of the Year after making headlines internationally, while Pavlos Antoniades (Quebec) was named Junior Male Triathlete of the Year.
Building on a podium finish at the Junior Canadian Championships, Ridenour rattled off three straight gold-medal performances at major races around the globe. She won the Junior European Cup race in Hungary and the CAMTRI North American Championships in Magog, Que. just two weeks before capturing three more gold medals at the Canada Games in Winnipeg. The National Performance Centre athlete finished in eighth spot at the Junior World Championships.
The Junior Canadian Men’s Champion, Antoniades (Quebec) was the nation’s top male throughout the summer where he went on to finish 15th at the Junior World Championships.
Canada’s elite athletes who received honourable mentions in 2017 thanks to their medal-winning performances at World Championship events also included:
Penticton Multisport World Championships
Aiden Longcroft-Harris (gold in the junior men’s aquathlon); Brennen Smith (gold in under 23 men’s aquathlon); Holly Henry (gold in junior women’s cross triathlon and silver in the junior women’s aquathlon); John Rasmussen (silver in the elite men’s aquathlon); Michael Milic (silver in the junior men’s aquathlon); Keisha Besler (silver in the under 23 women’s aquathlon); Tate Haugan (silver in the junior men’s cross triathlon); Heather Wurtele (bronze in the elite women’s long distance triathlon); and Aiden Longcroft-Harris (bronze in the elite men’s aquathlon).
Triathlon Canada added all age group athletes who achieved podium performances at the World Championships to its Honourable Mentions List in 2017. Athletes include the following:
ITU World Triathlon Grand Final – Rotterdam, NED
Standard Distance – Bronze
Louise Atkinson Clark – 65-69 Female
Rob Ashburner – 65-69 Male
Sprint Distance – Bronze
Charlie Barnes – 80-84 Male
ITU World Multisport Festival – Penticton, B.C.
Aquabike – Gold
Courtney Milligan – 20-24 Female
Carli Tyson – 40-44 Female
Chris Daniel – 50-59 Male
Bob Hubbard – 75-79 Male
Aquabike – Silver
Ryan Smiley – 35-39 Male
Teresa Melton – 40-44 Female
R James McNaughton – 40-44 Male
Beth Ordman – 50-54 Female
Aquabike – Bronze
Tegan Graham – 20-24 Female
Amanda Beaudin – 40-44 Female
Kendra Mitchell – 55-59 Female
Beverley McNally – 65-69 Female
Carl Peterson – 65-69 Male
Catherine Roberts – 70-74 Female
Long Distance – Gold
Kiah Wheeler – 20-24 Female
Loren Nelson – 20-24 Male
Jenna-Caer Seefried – 25-29 Female
Frank Sorbara – 25-29 Male
Heather Low – 30-34 Female
Maley Joel – 30-34 Male
Martin Caron 40-44 Male
Tanya Salomon – 45-49 Female
David Percy – 55-59 Male
Jill Kirker – 60-64 Female
Lydia Miller – 70-74 Female
Long Distance – Silver
Claire Robinson – 20-24 Female
Dave Van Reeuwyk – 30-34 Male
Alexandre Boule – 40-44 Male
Diane Miller – 50-54 Female
Marie-Josee Cossette – 55-59 Female
Stephen Marshall – 55-59 Male
Kate Okany – 60-64 Female
Ray P. Baker – 70-74 Male
Long Distance – Bronze
Mike McMillan – 30-34 Male
Johanna Hudson – 35-39 Female
Sharon Styles – 40-44 Female
Tedd Girouard – 45-49 Male
Nadia Leach – 50-54 Female
Wietske Eikelenboom – 55-59 Female
Angela Cullen Spooner – 60-64 Female
Fred Lambright – 70-74 Male
Aquathlon – Gold
Chelsea Raymond – 30-34 Female
Petr Schmidt – 55-59 Male
Kate Okany – 60-64 Female
Brian Martin – PTWC Male
Aquathlon – Silver
Kevin Pickard – 40-44 Male
Amanda Kosmerly – 45-49 Female
Rick Hunter – 55-59 Male
Aquathlon – Bronze
Alicia Slade – 30-34 Female
Jason Britton – 35-39 Male
Sheryl Ross – 40-44 Female
Cross Triathlon – Gold
Melissa Lavigne – 18-19 Female
Emanuela Bandol – 35-39 Female
Sarah McMillan – 45-49 Female
Carl Peterson – 65-69 Male
Darren Smith – PTS5 Male
Cross Triathlon – Silver
Lindsay Glassford – 25-29 Female
Derek Vinge – 35-39 Male
Linda Pellicano – 45-49 Female
Calvin Zaryski – 45-49 Male
Debbie Finnie – 55-59 Female
Scott Forrest – 60-64 Male
Cross Triathlon – Bronze
Laura Emms – 20-24 Female
Evan Girard – 20-24 Male
Jeff Van Rosmalen – 25-29 Male
Geoff M. Waterman – 35-39 Male
Lisa Helmer – 40-44 Female
Duane Ashley Myers – 40-44 Male
John Monk – 55-59 Male
Standard Duathlon – Gold
Jasmin Aggarwal – 20-24 Female
Matt Straatman – 20-24 Male
Melissa Paauwe – 30-34 Female
Jeremy Hopwood – 35-39 Male
Paul Huyer – 55-59 Male
David Field – 60-64 Male
Allan McCallister – 65-69 Male
Sharryn Oleskiw – 70-74 Female
Bob J. Wild – 85-89 Male
Standard Duathlon – Silver
Kim McMullen – 45-49 Female
Dennis Colburn – 50-54 Male
Murray Macpherson – 65-69 Male
Standard Duathlon – Bronze
Samuel Seshadri – 18-19 Male
Morgan Cabot – 25-29 Female
Lynda Gingras – 35-39 Female
Andrew Mcleod – 40-44 Male
Martin Vaillancourt – 45-49 Male
Sean O’Mahony – 55-59 Male
Bruce Butcher – 80-84 Male
Sprint Duathlon – Gold
Maureen Teixeira – 75-79 Female
Brian Parkinson – 75-79 Male
Robert Wild – 85-89 Male
Jessica Tuomela – PTVI Female
Sprint Duathlon – Silver
Diane Eller – 70-74 Female
Sprint Duathlon – Bronze
Laurence St-Cyr – 20-24 Female
Jennifer Souter – 30-34 Female
Dennis Colburn – 50-54 Male
Triathlon Canada is the governing body of the sport in the country. Triathlon Canada’s more than 22,000 members include athletes, coaches and officials from the grassroots to elite levels. With the support of its valued corporate partners – 94 FORWARD, Project, Training Peaks, Garneau, Zone3, Zizu Optics, and Polar – along with the Government of Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee, and Own the Podium, Triathlon Canada develops Olympic, Paralympic and world Champions in all race disciplines. For more information on Triathlon Canada, please visit us at www.triathloncanada.com.