By Canadian Press

Veteran Tyler Mislawchuk leads Canada’s Olympic triathlon team into Paris

Jun 17, 2024 | 9:58 AM

TORONTO — Veteran Tyler Mislawchuk and rookies Emy Legault and Charles Paquet will represent Canada in triathlon in the Olympic Games in Paris.

The 29-year-old Mislawchuk from Oak Bluff, Man. will compete in his third Olympic Games after finishing 15th in both 2016 in Rio and 2021 in Tokyo.

Legault of L’Ile Perrot, Que., helped Canada win a Pan American Games bronze medal in the mixed team relay and placed sixth in women’s triathlon in Santiago, Chile in 2023.

Paquet of Port-Cartier, Que., finished seventh in an Olympic qualification race in Italy in May two weeks after placing a career-best fifth in a World Triathlon Championship Series race in Yokohama, Japan.

The 26-year-old helped Canada win mixed relay silver at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.

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The men’s triathlon July 30 and women’s triathlon July 31 feature a 1,500-metre swim in the Seine River followed by a 40k bike and 10k run.

Canada didn’t qualify enough athletes for the mixed relay Aug. 5.

“Third time’s a charm,” Mislawchuk said Monday in a statement.

“My first Games in Rio, I was just so excited to make the team as an underdog. Tokyo, I came in with a lot stronger odds on me and I ended up injuring myself, and now I find myself in Paris in the prime of my career ready to rip.

“I’ve learned a lot from my last two Olympics, and you can’t buy that information that I have learned, so I’m ready to put it to good use over these last few weeks of preparation.

“I always struggle with the idea that I’m a role model or I will inspire others with my performances, but I just hope my story shows that if a small town kid who grew up in the middle of the prairies in Oak Bluff, Manitoba training in minus 50 degrees can make it to the Summer Olympics then anyone can get there and compete against the best in the world.”

The athletes were nominated to Canada’s Olympic team based on World Triathlon Championship Series results between May 2023 and May 2024.

Simon Whitfield won both of Canada’s Olympic triathlon medals. He was the men’s gold medallist when the sport made its Olympic debut in 2000 in Sydney, Australia, and a silver medallist in Beijing in 2008.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17, 2024.

The Canadian Press