Canada’s Rising Stars Head to Hayward: Team Canada Unleashes 38-Athlete World U20 Squad
Canada is sending one of its most exciting young track and field teams to Eugene, Oregon, where 38 athletes will carry the Maple Leaf into the World Athletics U20 Championships from August 5–9, 2026.
Hayward Field at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials. Wikimedia Commons image; original file and licence information are linked below.
Team Canada has officially named a 38-athlete roster for the World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26—a talented national squad spanning sprints, hurdles, middle distance, distance running, jumps and throws.
Canada Is Sending More Than a Roster—It Is Sending Its Future
This team represents Canadian track and field from coast to coast. Athletes from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador will compete at one of the world’s most celebrated athletics venues.
For many, Oregon 26 will be a first global championship. For Canadian athletics, it is another chance to develop the next generation of Olympians, World Championship finalists and senior national-team leaders.
World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26
The championships will take place from August 5–9, 2026 at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon. Oregon 26 is the 21st edition of the World Athletics U20 Championships and is expected to welcome more than 1,700 athletes from around the world.
Hayward Field previously hosted the World U20 Championships in 2014 and the senior World Athletics Championships in 2022, giving Canada’s young athletes a global stage with deep track and field history.
Thirty-eight athletes will wear the Maple Leaf at Hayward Field. Every heat, jump and throw is an opportunity to announce the next chapter of Canadian athletics.
Where Team Canada Looks Strong
Canada carries substantial depth across the 100m, 200m and 400m. Adam Nyarko, Charlotte Bosma, Sasha Salwonchuk and Zachary Jeggo headline the flat 400m group, while Benny Allangba, Elizabeth Tannis, Tia Porteous, Tatiana Reyes, Victoria Zolaturiuk, William Batley and Wyatt Lee strengthen the short sprints.
Brady Tse, Kate Fink, Sydney Freeman and William Tapodi cover the 400m hurdles, while Jordynn Scott, Brooklyn Taylor, Kieran Barnewall and Patrick Buscu represent Canada in the sprint hurdles.
Chloe Symon, Mary MacLean and Ryan Georgeson contest the 800m, while Chase Capes, Raiya Matonovich and Allison Wasson provide 1500m strength. Championship positioning and finishing speed will be decisive.
Gabriel Genest, Liam Wikerd and Mackenzie Hurtubise form a three-athlete pole-vault group, while Eghosa Ehigiator, Jenna Tunks and Louis-David Gagnon lead Canada’s discus representation.
Canadian Athletes to Watch at Oregon 26
The 400m and 400m hurdles pathway
Canada has a strong quarter-mile tradition. The flat 400m and 400m hurdles groups give the team multiple opportunities to progress through rounds and potentially strengthen relay selection.
Women’s middle-distance group
Chloe Symon and Mary MacLean enter the 800m, while Allison Wasson and Raiya Matonovich cover the 1500m. Their ability to manage traffic, pace changes and the final lap will determine how far they advance.
Pole vault trio
Gabriel Genest, Liam Wikerd and Mackenzie Hurtubise give Canada three entries in a technical event where first-attempt clearances and calm qualification execution can quickly open a route to the final.
Throws representation
Eghosa Ehigiator, Jenna Tunks and Louis-David Gagnon contest the discus, while Talia Phangura enters the shot put. Early clean marks will matter in global qualifying rounds.
Complete Team Canada World U20 Championships 2026 Roster
The following roster reproduces the athlete, primary event, hometown, club, branch and personal-coach information supplied in Athletics Canada’s official July 20 team communication.
| Athlete | Primary event | Hometown | Club | Branch | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Nyarko | 400m | Calgary, AB | CALTAF | AB | Brad McCuaig |
| Airlie Downie-Back | 5000m | Whitby, ON | Durham Dragons Athletics | ON | Dale Lapham |
| Allison Wasson | 1500m / 3000m | Dieppe, NB | ASEA | NB | Peter Stuart |
| Amairah Gayle | High Jump | St. Catharines, ON | Thorold Elite | ON | Mark Goveia |
| Athena Andrecyk | 5000m | Kingston, ON | Physi-Kult | ON | Steve Boyd |
| Benny Allangba | 100m | Edmonton, AB | Edmonton Royals | AB | Dwayne Van Straten |
| Brady Tse | 400m Hurdles | San Jose, CA | Unattached BC | BC | Sean Gwi |
| Brooklyn Taylor | 100m Hurdles / Long Jump | Alliston, ON | York University Track Club | ON | Bradley Matheson |
| Charlotte Bosma | 400m | Richmond, BC | Kajaks Track & Field Club | BC | Tom Dickson |
| Chase Capes | 1500m | Sarnia, ON | ASW | ON | Mark MacDonald |
| Chloe Symon | 800m | Vancouver, BC | Vancouver Thunderbirds | BC | Maurica Powell |
| Eghosa Ehigiator | Discus Throw | Toronto, ON | Project Athletics | ON | Nathan Stern |
| Eleanor Voykin | 3000m | Toronto, ON | Blue Devils Athletic Club | ON | Ben DeVito |
| Elizabeth Tannis | 100m | Toronto, ON | The Speed Academy | ON | Tony Sharpe |
| Gabriel Genest | Pole Vault | Mirabel, QC | Corsaire-Chaparral | QC | Michel Genest-Lahaye |
| Jaden Stewart | Triple Jump | Toronto, ON | York University Track Club | ON | Corey Braithwaite |
| Jenna Tunks | Discus Throw | London, ON | London Western Track & Field Club | ON | Jason Tunks |
| Jordynn Scott | 100m Hurdles | Toronto, ON | The Speed Academy | ON | Anthony McCleary |
| Kate Fink | 400m Hurdles | Paradise Hill, SK | Split City Sonics | AB | Karl Meissner |
| Kieran Barnewall | 110m Hurdles | Harrow, ON | Indiana State University | ON | Angela Martin |
| Liam Wikerd | Pole Vault | Kitchener, ON | Bolton Pole Vault | ON | Ruud de Vries |
| Louis-David Gagnon | Discus Throw | Lévis, QC | Club d’athlétisme de l’Université Laval | QC | Joey Lussier |
| Mackenzie Hurtubise | Pole Vault | Langley, BC | University of New Mexico | BC | Gabriel Brown |
| Mary MacLean | 800m | Edmonton, AB | Leduc Track Club | AB | John Bole |
| Patrick Buscu | 110m Hurdles | Calgary, AB | Calgary International Track Club | ON | Dani Marland |
| Raiya Matonovich | 1500m | Kamloops, BC | Kamloops Track and Field Club | BC | Brit Townsend |
| Ryan Georgeson | 800m | Komoka, ON | London Legion | ON | Sandy Cooper-Ryder |
| Sasha Salwonchuk | 400m | Pickering, ON | The Speed Academy | ON | Tony Sharpe |
| Sawyer LeBlanc | 3000m | St. John’s, NL | Unattached NL | NL | Andrew Carlson |
| Sydney Freeman | 400m Hurdles | Bracebridge, ON | Quest Sports | ON | Donna Clarke |
| Talia Phangura | Shot Put | Surrey, BC | Unattached BC | BC | Bradley Graham |
| Tatiana Reyes | 200m | Calgary, AB | CALTAF | AB | Natasha Quan-Vie |
| Tia Porteous | 100m | Milton, ON | Quest Sports | ON | Donna Clarke |
| Victoria Zolaturiuk | 200m | Hamilton, ON | Hamilton Olympic Club | ON | Marcello Campanaro |
| William Batley | 200m | Ottawa, ON | C.A.N.I. Athletics | ON | Lyndon George |
| William Tapodi | 400m Hurdles | Toronto, ON | University of Toronto Track Club | ON | Rostam Turner |
| Wyatt Lee | 100m / 200m | Kingston, ON | Flying Angels | ON | Justice McInnis |
| Zachary Jeggo | 400m | Embrun, ON | Ottawa Lions Track & Field Club | ON | Richard Johnston |
What Success Would Look Like for Canada
Medals are the clearest measurement at a world championship, but they are not the only meaningful outcome for an U20 team. Advancing through rounds, producing personal bests under pressure, reaching finals and learning how to manage a global championship are important developmental markers.
For Canada’s strongest contenders, the objective should be to compete for final positions immediately. For first-time international athletes, the experience should still be approached with competitive intent rather than simple participation.
Why Hayward Field Matters
Hayward Field is one of the most recognizable track and field venues in the United States. Its close sightlines, knowledgeable crowds and championship history create an atmosphere young athletes may remember throughout their careers.
Oregon 26 will also introduce the mixed 4×100m relay to the World U20 Championships programme, adding another distinctive feature to the five-day competition.
Thirty-eight athletes, one Maple Leaf and a global opportunity
Canada should be proud of the breadth of this team. The roster contains speed, endurance, technical ability and representation from clubs and communities across the country.
The opportunity at Hayward Field is not only to collect results. It is to show that Canadian athletes can enter global U20 competition with confidence, tactical maturity and the expectation that they belong.
Some members of this team may become senior national champions, Olympians or World Championship athletes. Oregon 26 may be where the wider athletics world first learns their names.
Sources and photo credit
- Athletics Canada, Team Canada Set for U20 Worlds, official communication dated July 20, 2026.
- World Athletics: Oregon 26 championship hub
- World Athletics: full event schedule announcement
- Hero image: Hayward Field, Wikimedia Commons