Running Away

What if you held a track & field meet and no one showed up? In the case of Canada's track & field team Athletics Canada seems prepared to do its very part in testing that theory at the 2009 World Track & Field Championships.

Consider the following:

• There are no Canadian women in the distance events, once one of Canada's biggest strengths on the track.
• There is one Canadian man running in an invididual sprint event;
• Aside from the hurdles there are no Canadian woman running in an individual sprint event.

From injuries, to restrictive standards, to coaching changes and even fatigue answers vary as to why Canada isn't sending athletes in individual track events. Excuses aside, however, the team - or lack thereof - that will represent Canada at the 2009 World Track & Field Championships shows just how far the sport has fallen in recent years.

A sport that once was Canada's most prolific at the Summer Olympics has won just 1 medal at the last three Olympic Games. Household names within the sport are non-existent, while membership levels within the sport are falling perhaps explaining why Canada will have only 5 athletes run an individual track event in Berlin.