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Articles on Elite athletes

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Canada’s Lisa Roman, Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski, Christine Roper, Andrea Proske, Susanne Grainger, Madison Mailey, Sydney Payne, Avalon Wasteneys and Kristen Kit celebrate on the podium after winning the gold medal in women’s eight rowing competition at the Tokyo Olympics. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Why women are owning the podium for Canada at the Tokyo Olympics

Canadian women’s success at the Tokyo Games bodes well not only for our future generations of athletes, but for our nation as a whole.
Canada’s Margaret Mac Neil swims to a gold medal in the women’s 100 metre butterfly final during at the Tokyo Olympics. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

Record-setting performances at the Tokyo Olympics come after months of pandemic-induced stress

The past 18 months have tested the mental and physical limits of Olympic athletes in their pursuit of the Tokyo Games. That’s what makes the performances during these Olympics even more remarkable.
This May, Olympian bronze medallist Damian Warner set three new Decathlon Bests in 100m, long jump, and 110m hurdles, earning a new Canadian record for overall points. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

How the COVID-19 delay of the Tokyo Olympics helped some athletes break records

Some Olympic athletes have thrived in the year-long delay leading up to the Tokyo Games, using the extra time off to improve their performance and shatter national records.
American sprinter Allyson Felix celebrates with her daughter Camryn after finishing second in the women’s 400-metre race at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials on June 20. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

The Tokyo Olympics will be the Games of all mothers

The Tokyo Games might be the most gender-equal games in history, but many competition barriers still exist for elite athletes who are mothers.
Maintaining physical condition, mental focus and motivation during the pandemic has been a challenge. Bob Daemmrich / Alamy Stock Photo

How Olympic training schedules have been hit by quarantine

Athletes headed to Tokyo have trained throughout an unusually stressful year. Missing out on final preparations could hinder their chances at a medal
Women in track and field must be involved in any planning around safety for all in the sport. (Shutterstock)

We must pay attention to Canada’s #MeToo moment in sports

There needs to be significant change in the administration of athletics programs. The global pause in sporting competitions is a unique opportunity to begin the urgent work of making it safe for women
More than 200 gene variants have been linked to outstanding sporting performance and this number could increase as we continue to research the link between genetics and athlete performance. Lukas Coch/AAP

Will the genetic screening of athletes change sport as we know it?

Genetic testing could help us build targeted and effective training routines for athletes, but the emerging science could also introduce opportunity for discrimination in the sporting world.
Olympic gold medallists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada are artists on ice, but behind their performance is years of training to be mentally tough during competition. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

How Olympians train their brains to become mentally tough

For any athlete to deliver a gold medal performance, mental toughness is an essential ingredient. But what exactly is mental toughness — and how does an athlete develop it?

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