London area track and field athletes book tickets to Paris 2024 Olympics

Alysha Newman of Delaware, Ont. holds a ticket to the Paris Olympic Games after winning the pole vault at the Bell Track and Field Championships in Montreal. (Source: Athletics Canada)

Alysha Newman is headed to her third straight Olympic Games.

The Delaware, Ont. native won the women’s pole vault title and set a new Canadian Championships record at the Bell Track and Field Championships in Montreal Friday.

The graduate of Mother Teresa S.S. jumped 4.75 metres, earning automatic nomination for Paris, in concert with the Olympic standard she achieved earlier this year.

“I feel really excited to be where I’m at,” Newman told Athletics Canada. “Any sport you do, anytime you jump high and you go for records, it gives you confidence.”

Newman has had her share of injuries during her career, which has now reached ten years.

That included a severe ankle sprain earlier this year at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships, which kept her out of competition a month.

“I know 4.75 metres won’t podium, but I want to go [to Paris],” said Newman. “I want to have fun like I did tonight, and just showcase and entertain.”

London, Ont. born Lucia Stafford celebrates after crossing the finish line in first place in the 1,500 metres at the Bell Track and Field Championships in Montreal. (Source: Athletics Canada)London-born Lucia Stafford –who grew up in Toronto- is also headed to Paris. She ran to a time of 4:10.14 in the Women’s 1,500 metre to qualify for her second Olympic Games, after running in 2020 in Tokyo.

“I’m a totally different person in the best way,” Stafford told media post-race, comparing today to where she was when she qualified for her first Olympics. “I just feel like I love this sport and I can’t wait to compete. Tokyo went well for me, but it felt so much to get there. Now I’m excited to be a fierce competitor instead of a scared one.”

Defending Olympic Champion Damian Warner had already booked his spot in Paris, but competed in a few events in Montreal just to get some work in the long jump, 110 metre hurdles and 400 metres.

Mt. Brydges, Ont. native Mark Bujnowski won the Canadian men’s shot put with a throw of 19.15 metres, but did not meet the Olympic Standard to qualify for Paris.

While more local athletes who did great things this weekend will not be headed to Paris for the Olympics, they did qualify for the U20 World Championships in Peru.

Jackson MacKay of London, Ont. won the U20 decathlon with 7,156 points.

“I’m proud to make the standard for World Athletics U20 Championships in Peru,” MacKay wrote on X. “Got to try on some Team Canada swag. Over the moon to receive congratulations from the great Damian Warner.”

Julia Tunks finished second in the Women’s Discus, but still qualified for the U20 Worlds.

The future UCLA Bruin has been battling an injury to her pectoral muscle, and the recovery time was just not enough to compete at her highest level her father and former Olympian Jason Tunks wrote on Instagram.

Julia’s younger sister Jenna Tunks needed her last discus throw to claim gold with a toss of 45.89 metres. The Londoner claimed the U20 championship over Blenheim’s Emma Negri.

Despite her victory meeting the U20 standard, Jenna is too young to compete at the U20 Worlds.

Londoner Payton Serraglio is also headed to Lima after winning the U20 women’s pole vault with a height of 4.00 metres.

Payton Serraglio of London, Ont. won the U20 Pole Vault at the Bell Track and Field Championships in Montreal. (Source: Athletics Canada)