OTTAWA – A contingent of eight athletes will travel to Taicang, China to compete in the 2014 International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) World Race Walking Cup May 3. Taicang has previously hosted the IAAF Race Walking Challenge event, this race will be the same 2-kilometre loop course in the centre of the city.

A trio of competitors from the 2013 IAAF World Championship team will lead the men’s entry in China. Inaki Gomez of Vancouver, B.C., holds the Canadian 20-kilometre race walk record of 1:20:58, which he set at the 2012 Olympic Games. Last season Inaki placed eighth at the World Championships. Evan Dunfee of Richmond, B.C., raced in the 50-kilometre race walk event at the 2013 World Championships placing 36th while Benjamin Thorne of Kitimat, B.C., was 20th in the 20-kilometre event.

Rachel Seaman of Peterborough, Ont., was away from competition last season to start her family. Since returning to competition in December 2013 she is having a career season breaking Canadian records in the 5-kilometre, 10-kilometre, 20-kilometre and indoor 3000-metres race walk.

2014 World Race Walking Cup Team
 
Men’s 20km Race Walk – May 3 at 4:30am EST (4:30pm Local)

Name – Hometown – Coach
Bruno Carrière – Lachute, QC – Tim Seaman
Creighton Connolly – Etobicoke, ON – Stafford Whalen
Evan Dunfee – Richmond, BC – Gerry Dragomir
Inaki Gomez – Vancouver, BC – Gerry Dragomir
Benjamin Thorne – Kitimat, BC – Gerry Dragomir

Women’s 20km Race Walk – May 3 at 10:10pm EST (May 4 at 10:10am Local)
 
Name – Hometown – Coach
Nicola Evangelista – Vancouver, BC – Gerry Dragomir
Katelynn Ramage – Vancouver, BC – Gerry Dragomir
Rachel Seaman – Peterborough, ON – Tim Seaman

For more information click here.

-AC-

Emily Hooper
Coordinator, Marketing & Communications
Athletics Canada
(613) 260-5580 x.3332