Exposure to the world stage at a young age has proven successful for many Canadian Olympians, such as Olympic hammer throw champion Ethan Katzberg, indoor 400m record holder Christopher Morales-Williams and Olympic 400m hurdles finalist Savannah Sutherland. On Tuesday, when the 2024 World U20 Championships kick off in Lima, Peru, 27 young Canadian athletes will compete against the next generation of track and field stars. Here are a few athletes to watch.
Rachel Forsyth (1,500m)
Canada’s future in middle-distance running is bright, and London, Ont’s Rachel Forsyth will lead the charge in Lima. Forsyth is the reigning U20 national champion in the 1,500m and holds a personal best of 4:17.00, which she set at the Ontario Track and Field Championships last month. Her personal best is almost eight seconds below the world U20 qualifying standard of 4:24.80. The 18-year-old, who will be beginning her NCAA career with Michigan State University in the fall, will begin her U20 championship campaign in the heats of the women’s 1,500m on Aug. 28.
| ROUND | DAY | LOCAL TIME | EASTERN TIME | |||
| Heats | WEDNESDAY 28 AUGUST 2024 | 16:45 | 12:45 | |||
| Final* | SATURDAY 31 AUGUST 2024 | 17:00 | 13:00 |
*Pending qualification.
Dianna Proctor (200m, 400m)
Edmonton’s Dianna Proctor will be competing in an impressive sprint double. The 19-year-old boasts personal bests of 23.30 seconds in the 200m and 52.93 seconds for 400m, easily earning her 30th- and 26th-place U20 world rankings, respectively–the highest rankings in a track event on the team. Proctor opens up her competition on Aug. 28, in the 400m heats, with the 200m heats on Thursday, Aug. 29 at 7:15 a.m. ET.
Women’s 400m schedule
| ROUND | DAY | LOCAL TIME | EASTERN TIME | |||
| Heats | WEDNESDAY 28 AUGUST 2024 | 11:25 | 07:25 | |||
| Semi-Final* | WEDNESDAY 28 AUGUST 2024 | 17:45 | 13:45 | |||
| Final* | THURSDAY 29 AUGUST 2024 | 18:43 | 14:43 |
Women’s 200m schedule
| ROUND | DAY | LOCAL TIME | EASTERN TIME | |||
| Heats | THURSDAY 29 AUGUST 2024 | 11:15 | 07:15 | |||
| Semi-Final* | THURSDAY 29 AUGUST 2024 | 16:47 | 12:47 | |||
| Final* | FRIDAY 30 AUGUST 2024 | 18:35 | 14:35 |
*Pending qualification.
Kyla Martin (800m)
Barrie, Ont.’s Kyla Martin has been on fire this 2024 season in the women’s 800m event. The 18-year-old is coming into the U20 competition with a 35th-place U20 world ranking, kudos to her 2:05.15 personal best, which she ran in July at Toronto’s 800m night. Martin, who just completed her first year at the University of Utah, begins her competition on Aug. 27.
| ROUND | DAY | LOCAL TIME | EASTERN TIME | |||
| Heats | TUESDAY 27 AUGUST 2024 | 12:55 | 08:55 | |||
| Semi-Final* | THURSDAY 29 AUGUST 2024 | 15:58 | 11:58 | |||
| Final* | FRIDAY 30 AUGUST 2024 | 16:50 | 12:50 |
*Pending qualification.
John O’Reilly (800m)
One of the top up-and-coming Canadian middle-distance talents is 19-year-old John O’Reilly of Toronto. O’Reilly secured a U20 championship spot in the men’s 800m with his 1:48.15 personal best at the Royal City Inferno in June. The University of Michigan star will begin his competition in Lima on Tuesday, Aug. 27.
| ROUND | DAY | LOCAL TIME | EASTERN TIME | |||
| Heats | TUESDAY 27 AUGUST 2024 | 12:00 | 08:00 | |||
| Semi-Final* | THURSDAY 29 AUGUST 2024 | 16:20 | 12:20 | |||
| Final* | FRIDAY 30 AUGUST 2024 | 16:35 | 12:35 |
*Pending qualification.
The 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships will be held in Lima, Peru, from Aug. 27 to Aug. 31. This marks the first time a World Athletics event is hosted in Peru, with more than 1,700 athletes from 134 countries set to compete. The event will be streamed live worldwide for free on the World Athletics website. You can watch the live stream on World Athletics Inside Track. (To watch the live stream on the World Athletics website, you’ll need to register for a free account.)
