Amelie Kretz, Canadian triathlete, impresses ahead of Olympics
8th-place finish could secure her a spot in Rio
Canadian triathlete Amelie Kretz posted a career-best finish at the final Olympic triathlon qualifying event in Yokohama, Japan over the weekend.
Whether it's enough to guarantee her a spot in Rio is still up in the air.
The Blainville, Que., native finished eighth at the International Triathlon Union (ITU) event on Saturday with a time of one hour, 57 minutes and 53 seconds. Gwen Jorgensen, Kretz's American training partner, earned her fourth consecutive gold on the circuit.
Kretz's recent form has made an excellent case for her to be chosen for the Summer Games. She leads all Canadian women in points this season, sitting 50th in the overall standings.
Jorgensen, who sits atop the ITU standings, has nothing but praise for Kretz.
Despite being the top Canadian at the event, Kretz's Olympic fate now rests with Triathlon Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee.
According to Triathlon Canada, the conditions for individual qualification were not met by any of Canada's triathletes. These conditions required a top-eight finish at the 2015 Rio test event or the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in Chicago as well as a subsequent top-eight in 2016.
Since none of Canada's triathletes achieved this standard, a secondary standard was established. This requires a top-eight finish at one of three "targeted" events (Abu Dhabi, Gold Coast, or Yokohama) as well as any top-eight finish dating back to May 2014. Kretz's eighth-place finish in Japan only partially qualified her
With neither standard met, final spots in Rio will be determined by a Triathlon Canada's selection committee. Canada will have three spots in the women's competition and two in the men's. Tyler Mislawchuk of Oak Bluff, Man., currently ranks 25th in the world and is Canada's presumptive nominee for the men's competition.
Quebec City's Sarah-Anne Brault finished a season-best 13th in Japan, bolstering her chances ahead of selection. Potentially rounding out the women's competition is 48th-ranked Kirsten Sweetland of Victoria, although Dominika Jamnicky of Guelph, Ont., and Edmonton's Paula Findlay are still in contention.
Triathlon Canada will announce the list of triathletes heading to Rio for the 2016 Games on June 9.