It was announced earlier that Athletics Canada was harmonizing its championship events with those of the IAAF.

In planning our own event format for this summer, which must consider both developmental (LTAD) and high performance streams, Athletics Ontario would like to know the opinion of its coaches with respect to the “new” events?

Please send your comments by April 10 to Roman Olszewski [email protected]

Women’s 5000m. Athletics Canada has dropped the 3000m distance from the Canadian Junior Championships in favour of the 5000m distance.   Currently, AO offers both distances, with the 5000m often (but not always) held at a different place and time. Keep in mind that at the IAAF World Junior Championships both 3000 and 5000m are offered.

Which option do you favour:

1. Keep the current structure for AO championships (as described above)
2. Include both events as championships but switch around so that priority goes to 5000m (e.g., give a more prominent place in the championship meet schedule)
3. Drop the 3000m altogether and go solely with the 5000m

Women’s 3000m Steeplechase. Athletics Canada has dropped the 2000m Steeplechase in favour of the 3000m distance. Ontario currently runs the event at 2000m.

Which option do you favour:

1. Keep the 2000m distance for Junior Women at the Athletics Ontario Championships
2. Replace the 2000m with the 3000m distance

Youth Girls and Boys 400m Hurdles. AC will be changing the intermediate hurdles distance for both boys and girls from 300m to 400m. The hurdle heights will stay the same. AO conducts our championships at 300m.

Which option do you favour:

1. Keep the 300m distance for youths at our provincial championships
2. Replace the 300m distance with 400m

Midget 300m Hurdles. AC has not recommended a rule change here. In Ontario we run this event at 200m. If the 400m distance is adopted for Ontario Youths, then 300m may be logical distance for Midgets.

If the 400m Hurdles becomes the new event for Youths at the Ontario Championships which option regarding Midget distances would you favour?

1. Keep the distance at the current 200m
2. Change the distance to 300m.

Youth Boys and Girls 5000m Walk. AC has adopted this distance for the Canadian Youth Championships. The IAAF distances are 5k for girls and 10k for boys. In Ontario, to encourage introduction to this discipline, the distance has been traditionally held at 1500m.

Which option do you favour:

1. Keep the current 1500m distance
2. Change the distance from 1500m to 5000m
3. Keep the current 1500m distance at the main Youth Championships meet but in addition include a Youth category in the Junior-Senior 5000m track walk championships
4. Other (please explain).

Youth Boys Decathlon. This has been the official IAAF CE event for Youth Boys since last year. AC has adopted the new event and will be offering it at the AC Youth Championships this year. It replaces the Octathlon. It was announced by AO last year that we would likely accept the new event in its provincial championship in 2015.

Which option do you favour:

1. Keep the current Octathlon
2. Adopt the Decathlon in place of the Octathlon
3. Is an adjustment to the Midget Boys CE (Pentathlon) necessary if Decathlon is adopted for youth (MB Heptathlon, Octathlon?)