Heats are underway in the U18 men’s 110m hurdles on Day 1 at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
The 2024 Summer Olympics was proof positive of the Nationals’ fundamental role in the rise of elite Canadian sports men and women—28 Legion Nationals alumni wore Canadian red and white in Paris, including bronze-medalist pole vaulter Alysha Newman of London, Ont., and golden shot putters Ethan Katzberg and Camryn Rogers, both B.C. natives.
And judging by three balmy August days of competition at the 2024 Legion Nationals in Calgary, the future looks bright.
Nolan Buie of Ontario came from behind to take second in the U18 men’s 2000m steeplechase at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Ontario’s Kiana Charest earned the Leroy Washburn Award as top female Legion athlete after an equally dominating performance on the track, where she won the U18 women’s 800, 1200 and 2000m races.
Alberta-N.W.T.’s Abiola Omoyayi hands off to Allyna Collis during their silver medal-winning run in the U16 girls’ 1600m sprint medley at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
About 72 certified officials watched over events, while over 200 volunteers made for a smooth, virtually flawless event. Wounded Afghanistan veteran and para-athlete Mike Trauner served a second straight year inspiring participants as special ambassador.
Each year, the Nationals marks an event or period in Canadian military history. This year’s games recognized Canada’s 12+ years in Afghanistan.
B.C./Yukon’s Makaio Maver catches some air during the U18 men’s long jump at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
While hockey and soccer attract the big sponsors, youth athletics take a back seat. Certified by Athletics Canada as the national youth championships in 2010, the Legion Nationals are the RCL’s single biggest investment and the country’s only national U18 and U16 athletics competition.
U-18 women run a heat in the 100m hurdles at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Sawyer LeBlanc of Newfoundland and Labrador maintained an early lead and went on to win the U18 men’s 3000 metres in 8:40.56 at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
A coach urges his runner on in the U16 girls’ steeplechase at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Josee Regala of Ontario won the 80m hurdles in 12.48s en route to taking the U16 girls’ pentathalon with 3136 points at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Ontario’s Kiana Charest won the U16 girls 1200m (pictured), 2000m and 800 races to win the top female Legion athlete at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Mickael Allaire is embraced by a teammate after anchoring the Quebec team to victory in the U18 men’s 4x400m race at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Gabriela Paré crosses the finish line in the 80m hurdles event in the U16 women’s pentathlon event at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Gabrielle Armstrong is congratulated by B.C./Yukon teammate and eventual winner Mackenzie Hurtubise after she cleared a silver medal-winning 3.60m in the U18 women’s pole vault at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Mary MacLean of Alberta-N.W.T. won the U18 women’s 1500m (pictured) and 800m races along with the 4x400m relay at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Chloe Symon of B.C./Yukon reacts as she learns she edged Hailee Woodhouse of Saskatchewan by 49/100s to take the U18 women’s 400m in 54.99 at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Jorai Oppong-Nketiah of Ottawa Lions TFC takes the U18 women’s 200 metres in 23.90 at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Frédéric Louis Roy of New Brunswick launched a 49.15m to take the U16 men’s javelin at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Gabriel Genest of Club d’athlétisme Corsaire-Chaparral in Sainte-Thérèse, Que., won the U18 men’s pole vault, clearing 4.30 metres at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Volunteers move a canopy at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Maeva Scipio of Thorold, Ont., Elite TFC won the U16 girls’ 200m hurdles in 27.78 at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Anchor Adele Kushner of Ontario’s Thorold Elite TFC truns the final leg of the U16 girls’ 1600m medley at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Winner Quinn Coughlin of Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club and Janelle Davis of Border City Athletic Club in Windsor, Ont., share a hug after the U18 women’s 400m hurdles final at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Olivia Downey of Ontario won the U16 girls’ steeplechase in 4:55.13 at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Coaching during the U18 women’s pole vault at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Ryan Vanderwal of Nova Scotia/Nunavut prepares for the start of his U18 men’s 400m hurdles final at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Alex Takaki Fernandes Fra of Quebec took the U16 boys’ 200m hurdles in 24.69 at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Anchor Noelle Hibbert takes the pass from St. Albert, Alta., TFC teammate Eden Gendron during the U18 women’s 4x100m at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Malena Newman of Capital City Track Club in Edmonton competes in the U18 women’s javelin at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Avalea Simpson of Brockville, Ont., Legion runs the U16 girls’ 2000 metres at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Maria Viteri took second in the U18 women’s 3000m race walk with a 17:15.34 at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Prelims in the U18 women’s 100m of Day 1 at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Adrianna Buitelaar of B.C./Yukon made a late move from back in the pack to take the U18 women’s 3000m in 9:43.34 at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. Riley Innes of Newmarket Huskies Track Club came in second at 9:46.10. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Early going in the first heat of the U18 men’s 3000 metres at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Competitors recover after one of two heats in the U18 women’s 3000m race at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Winner Sawyer LeBlanc of Newfoundland and Labrador gives third-place finisher Peter Kunka of B.C./Yukon a hand after the U18 men’s 3000m race. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Chloe Symon of B.C./Yukon edged Hailee Woodhouse of Saskatchewan to take the U18 women’s 400m in 54.99 at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Isabella Mills hands off to anchor Anieu Chan en route to Ontario’s silver medal performance in the U16 girls’ 4x100m at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Jurnee Scott of The Speed Academy Track Club in Pickering, Ont., and Brooklyn Taylor of York University Track and Field Club finished 3-4 in the U18 women’s 100m hurdles at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
A volunteer waters the plants at the water jump prior to the steeplechase events at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Payton Rogers of the Kajaks TFC in Richmond, B.C., ran a 25.47 to take the U16 girls’ 200m at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Violet Kavanagh of the hometown Calgary TFC pushes through a spill in the U18 women’s steeplechase at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Winner Jorai Oppong-Nketiah of Ottawa Lions TFC and sixth-place finisher Ashley Johnson of Mississauga, Ont., TFC share a moment after the U18 women’s 200m final at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Anieu Chan and Kiana Charest celebrate Ontario’s gold medal in the U16 girls’ 1600m medley at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Léo Choinière-Longpré of Quebec won the U16 boys’ steeplechase in 4:18.51 at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Javelin officials compare notes at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Payton Rogers of Kajaks TFC in Richmond, B.C., won the U16 girls’ 300m in 39.79 at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Gabrielle Armstrong logged a strong performance for silver as B.C./Yukon swept the Top 2 results in the U18 women’s pole vault at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Anchor Noah Hill closes out Ontario’s gold medal run in the U16 boys’ 1600m medley at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Anais Khouri of the hometown University of Calgary Athletics Club is all eyes as she clears the bar during the U18 women’s high jump at the Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in August. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
U18 men’s 3000m runners recover in the finishing area at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
Jay Shreve of the Truro, N.S., Lions TFC took the U16 boys’ 1500m race walk in 8:38.98, 1:34.46 faster than his lone opponent at the 2024 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in Calgary. [Stephen J. Thorne/LM]
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