For the first time in history, Canada will send four defending champions to the World Athletics Championships. The event is set to take place in Tokyo from September 13 to 21. The Canadian team, consisting of 59 athletes, includes hammer throwers Ethan Katzberg and Camryn Rogers, 800-meter runner Marco Arop, and decathlete Pierce LePage.

Katzberg and Rogers, both Olympic champions, hail from British Columbia. Arop, who won a silver medal in the 800 meters at the 2024 Paris Games, is from Edmonton. LePage, from Whitby, Ontario, missed the Paris Games due to a herniated disc.

Athletics Canada announced the roster on Thursday, highlighting the depth of the team. Glenroy Gilbert, Athletics Canada's Olympic head coach, expressed confidence in the athletes' abilities. "The athletes at the level where they're winning medals and trying to defend from the Worlds or the Olympics before — it's a tall order," Gilbert said. "But it's one that I think our athletes are more than prepared for and more than capable of doing."

The Canadian squad also features the Olympic champion 4x100 meter relay team, which includes Andre De Grasse, Aaron Brown, Brendon Rodney, and Jerome Blake. Other notable athletes on the team include Damian Warner, the 2021 Olympic decathlon champion, and Sarah Mitton, who was the runner-up in the women's shot put at the 2023 world championships.

Gilbert emphasized the strength of the Canadian team, which includes a mix of experienced veterans and promising newcomers. "I think we've got a really balanced group of athletes. We've got throws, we've got jumps, multi-events, we've got the sprint side, we've got walks," he said from the team's training camp in Gifu, Japan.

The team aims to perform well as they prepare for the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028. Gilbert hopes to see athletes achieve personal bests and advance to semifinals and finals.

Canada's hammer throwers, Rogers and Katzberg, are expected to be strong contenders for gold. Both athletes recently won Olympic gold medals in Paris. Gilbert noted that the success in field events is a result of excellent coaching and training environments.

Sarah Mitton, who recently faced disappointment after being stripped of her Diamond League title, is focused on the upcoming championships. "The Diamond League Final, that's over. You've got to be able, in track and field, to have a short memory," Gilbert said.

The Canadian 4x100 meter relay teams are also expected to perform well. The men's team, which includes De Grasse and Brown, is the reigning Olympic champion. The women's team recently set a new Canadian record of 42.46 seconds at the World Athletics Relays.

Gilbert believes both teams have the potential to secure podium finishes. He stated, "As long as everybody kind of comes together when it's time to run, I mean, last year at the Olympics, none of them made a final in an open event, but then they stepped on the track and delivered an Olympic gold medal."

The championships will also serve as a platform for emerging athletes like Christopher Morales Williams and Savannah Sutherland. Morales Williams set a Canadian record in the 400 meters earlier this year, while Sutherland recently broke the NCAA record in the women's 400-meter hurdles.

As the Canadian team prepares for the World Athletics Championships, expectations are high for both defending champions and new talent.