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World’s Best Athletes Return to Toronto for Final Stop on National Track League Circuit - Athletics CanadaPublished by
World’s Best Athletes Return to Toronto for Final Stop on National Track League CircuitThursday, March 03, 2011 TORONTO - Athletics Ontario provided more details today on an international track & field meet which will take place Wednesday, July 13th at the University of Toronto’s Varsity Centre. In partnership with The Toronto Star, Canada’s most read daily newspaper, the Toronto Star International Games will showcase some of the World’s brightest track and field stars in a celebration of sport, entertainment and diversity. Building on the highly successful 2009 Festival of Excellence, which brought Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt to Canada, the Toronto Star International Games will serve as the final stop in Athletics Canada’s inaugural National Track League, a grand prix series of five international high-performance meets across the country. “The Star is proud to be associated with this international sporting event,” says John Cruickshank, Publisher of the Toronto Star and President of Star Media Group. “The Star has been an active supporter of major track and field events in the past, which we believe enrich the city from the standpoint of sports, entertainment and culture. We look forward to being part of these games for years to come.” “The Toronto Star International Games are destined to become a flagship sporting and cultural event for the city of Toronto for years to come”, comments Executive Meet Director, John Craig. “The meet will take place on an annual basis leading up to and beyond the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games, extending the legacy of the Games for the benefit of all.” Bill Stephens, Athletics Ontario Chair, explains that, “the Board of Athletics Ontario decided to invest in the creation and management of the meet to help deliver upon many of our organizational goals: enhancing programs for grassroots level participation; nurturing high performance athlete development; infrastructure development; funding to be reinvested in the sport; enhanced coaching, officiating, volunteers and membership capacity; community engagement; contribution to the general health, fitness and social well being in the broader community.” Canadian athletes like Olympic bronze medallist, Priscilla Lopes-Schliep, are thrilled by the opportunity to return to Toronto as they prepare for the 2012 Olympics."I remember starting out in this sport and having very few options to race, it wasn't easy and it wasn't cheap,” Lopes-Schliep added, “Now that I’ve been on the international tour for a couple of years it's great to see changes on the horizon for the next generation of athletes in the system. Canadian athletes will benefit immensely from high level competition in their own backyard. I’m personally excited to get more opportunities to compete and succeed on home soil!” In addition to showcasing elite level senior track & field competition, the Toronto Star International Games will also introduce Ontario’s finest junior athletes in competition against international stars of tomorrow in a series of Toronto 2015 preview events. The meet is designed to engage a variety of multicultural communities by celebrating track & field’s inclusive qualities and universal appeal. Building on this theme, a series of grassroots engagement programs attractive to youth and adults alike, will be announced in the months ahead. More information on the Toronto Star International Games will be available shortly on the official event website. About NTL The National Track League is a dynamic platform which will help support three core Athletics Canada pillars. Athlete Development – NTL will aid in the development of talent ensuring Canadian athletes succeed at major international events; Competitions – building and strengthening the domestic system; Organizational Capacity – enhancing resources to grow the sport in Canada. NTL’s mission is to deliver a sustainable brand that will increase funding and participation for the sport of athletics, accelerating the development of athletes, coaches, volunteer programs and infrastructure capacity. The inaugural edition of the National Track League’s (NTL) will feature over $300,000 in prize money. The NTL is a point based grand prix style series making stops in Edmonton, Victoria, Vancouver, Halifax and Toronto over the course of 15 days. About Athletics Ontario Athletics Ontario is the not-for-profit sport governing body for athletics (track and field, road running, cross country and race walking) for the province of Ontario. The association is athlete-centred, volunteer-based and club-and-community driven. Athletics Ontario is a member of Athletics Canada, the National Sport Governing body for track and field, which is in turn a member of the International Association of Athletics Federations. -AO- For the Toronto Star International Games: For the National Track League: More news
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