Londoners up for Canadian Athlete of the Year
The Canadian Athlete of the Year will be named Wednesday, and two Londoners are considered to be among the front-runners to win the award.
London’s own Maggie MacNeil and Damian Warner are among the finalists for the Lou Marsh Trophy. Soccer Star Jessie Fleming has also been named in the mix of athletes considered for the award.
The award is decided by a committee of 35 people representing media outlets across the country.
Last year there was a tie between soccer star Alphonso Davies and NFLer Laurent Duvernay-Tardif.
This year the award very well could come down to a pair of Londoners who made headlines at the Tokyo Olympics.
For many Damian Warner is considered a front-runner after his historic gold medal in the decathlon.
The winner of the decathlon is often called the world’s greatest athlete due to the number of events one athlete must master in order to win.
Damian’s performance was widely considered one of the best in the history of the sport, after he led from the start and sent a new Olympic scoring record. He was the fourth ever athlete to break the 9,000 point barrier.
Not to be outdone by her fellow Londoner is Maggie MacNeil, the 21-year-old swimming star who turned heads at the pool this year.
MacNeil was Canada’s best swimmer, bringing home the country’s only gold medal, along with a silver and bronze in relay events.
She was named the best female athlete of the Tokyo Games and also named the U.S. collegiate swimmer of the year.
Finally the third Londoner in talks for the award is Jessie Fleming who was instrumental in Canada’s historic gold medal run at the Olympics in soccer.
Fleming sent Canada to the final with a thrilling penalty kick against the U.S. and then scored in the final again on a penalty.
No matter who the winner may end up being London has proven there is no shortage of world class athletic talent coming out of the Forest City.
Other notables up for the award are track star Andre De Grasse and swimmer Penny Oleksiak.
De Grasse is another front runner after his stellar performance at the Olympics winning gold in the 200 metres and winning two more bronze medals.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Calgary police shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers dealt with a distraught individual. The incident lasted almost 20 hours.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.