Meet the Olympians: London athletes set to shine again at Summer Games

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Will London be Canada’s Golden City again this Olympics?

It’s a tall order.

Five Londoners – Damian Warner, Maggie Mac Neil, Susanne Grainger, Jessie Fleming and Shelina Zadorsky – came home from Tokyo three years ago with gold medals. Grainger, the member of the great women’s rowing eight, moved on from the sport and 31-year-old soccer defender Zadorsky begins the Games in France as one of the Canadian team’s four alternate players.

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Warner is the oldest athlete in what will be the most competitive decathlon of all-time, but no one would be surprised if he pulls off a second straight Olympic title. A couple of swimmers have been faster than Mac Neil in her 100-metre butterfly specialty the past year, but she is a seasoned racer who almost always rises to the occasion when it matters most.

She already owns an Olympic medal of every colour and will be part of some strong relay teams, too.

Pole vaulter Alysha Newman is a wild card in her third Olympics. If she rises to the occasion in one of her favourite competitive countries, she could challenge for the podium.

There are more Southwestern Ontario ties to the Summer Games, of course. Listowel’s Corey Conners is No. 38 on the golf world rankings and has two PGA wins to his credit. Bothwell’s Nick Wammes is a swift track cyclist, Sarnia’s Boady Santavy has weightlifting in his genes and Chatham’s Bridget Carleton should be a big part of Canada’s women’s basketball team.

Londoner Shaedon Sharpe of the Portland Trail Blazers went to the men’s basketball training camp as a non-roster invitee since he was limited to 32 games in his sophomore NBA season after surgery for a core muscle injury in February. The 21-year-old is certainly part of the hoops team’s bright future down the road.

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There are some loose London connections to follow, too. Middle distance runner Lucia Stafford, beach volleyballer Heather Bansley and skateboarder Cordano Russell were born here, but didn’t spend too many of their formative years in the Forest City.

Jill Moffatt, who rows in the women’s lightweight double sculls with Jenny Casson, still lists the Western University club as her home from her years spent at Fanshawe Lake. Middle distance runner Kate Current, a Mustangs star from Cobourg, will also compete in Paris.

So there are plenty of locals to cheer for over the next few weeks. But five gold medals again from a city this size?

That was a once-in-a-generation kind of performance.

Of course, London usually punches well above its weight – so you never know.

Olympians from London, region aiming for gold in Paris:

Damian Warner, 34, decathlon

Fourth-time Olympian won the gold medal with a meet record 9,018 points three years ago in Tokyo. The Montcalm grad was third at Rio 2016 and fifth at London 2012. The three-time world medalist and record eight-time winner of the Gotzis (Austria) Hypo-Meeting is trying to become the fourth man to win back-to-back Olympic decathlon golds after American Ashton Eaton (2012, ‘16), British star Daley Thompson (1980, ‘84) and Bob Mathias (1948, ‘52) of the United States.

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Maggie Mac Neil, 24, swimming

The Canadian pool star was a triple medalist three years ago in Tokyo – including gold in her 100-metre butterfly specialty. The London Aquatic club standout burst onto the global scene with a stunning performance to win the 100 fly at the 2019 world aquatics championships in Gwangju, South Korea. She dominated in the pool with five golds – and seven medals total – at last year’s Pan Am Games in Santiago, Chile. The eight-time world medalist is one of the great female swimmers in NCAA history, earning all-American honours 25 times during her time at University of Michigan and Louisiana State University.

Alysha Newman, 30, pole vault

Three-time Olympian finished seventh at Rio but was eliminated during qualifying at Tokyo. Mother Teresa grad won the Commonwealth Games gold medal six years ago in Australia. She established the Canadian women’s outdoor record with a 4.82-metre effort at a Diamond League meet in Paris five years ago. Delaware native transitioned to pole vault after injury ended her gymnastics career at age 13.

Jessie Fleming, 26, soccer

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Third-time Olympian will be wearing the captain’s armband for Canada with legendary Christine Sinclair retired from international play. Star midfielder owns a gold medal from Tokyo and a bronze from Rio. The country feels at ease when the Portland Thorns standout takes a penalty kick in a big moment. The former UCLA great, who attended Central and Beal in London, rarely comes off the field for Bev Priestman’s squad. She will be a key part of the team’s fortunes again in France.

rpyette@postmedia.com

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