Olympic Opening Ceremonies take place Friday. Pictured Emma Van Dyk. Photo Credit: Brock University.
The 33rd modern Olympic Games officially begin Friday in Paris, France with the opening ceremonies.
There will be 206 countries represented at the Olympics, and 184 at the Paralympics, including a number of Niagara natives, or athletes and coaches that proudly call the region home.
The Niagara Independent would like to congratulate and wish all the best to the following:
Mohammed Ahmed, Track & Field St. Catharines, is the first Canadian athlete to stand on the podium in the 5000m at both the Olympic Games and the World Championships.
Ahmed made history at Tokyo 2020 where he won silver in the 5000m for Canada’s first Olympic medal in a long distance track event.
A proud graduate of St. Catharines Collegiate Secondary School, Ahmed’s nickname is MoSpeed.
Kristen Kit, Rowing St. Catharines, was the coxswain of the Canadian women’s eight crew that won gold in her Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020. It was Canada’s first Olympic gold in any women’s rowing event since Atlanta 1996 and the first gold in the women’s eight since Barcelona 1992.
Kit, who graduated from Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School in St. Catharines, is also an avid mountain biker and elected to Elected to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA’s) Athlete Council whom she’ll be representing when she returns to St. Catharines in August for the World Rowing Championships.
Sabrina D’Angelo, Soccer Welland, made her debut in the Canadian youth program as a 14-year-old in 2007, and made her first appearance for the national team on March 4, 2016 during the Algarve Cup in Portugal against Belgium, where she posted a clean sheet (shutout) in the match.
D’Angelo, known as ‘Sabs’ to her friends and teammates, graduated from Notre Dame College (High School) in Welland.
Hannah Taylor, Wrestling St. Catharines, born in Prince Edward Island came to Niagara to attend Brock University and join the perennial powerhouse Badgers Wrestling Team.
Taylor qualified to make her Olympic debut at Paris 2024 when she finished in the top two of the women’s 57kg event at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier in Acapulco, Mexico in March of this year.
She’s lived in the Garden City for over 10 years and now proudly calls St. Catharines home.
Emma Grace Van Dyk, Swimming Port Colborne, has made her mark at the Parapan American Games, and now she’s ready to do the same for the first time at the Paralympics in 2024.
At the Paralympic team trials in May 2024, she broke the Canadian record in the S14 100m backstroke and also holds the marks since 2022 in the 400 IM and the 200 butterfly.
Van Dyk is a member of the Brock Niagara Aquatics team.
Fun Fact: As a rower, Van Dyk once won a gold medal with her twin sister in junior doubles at the Ontario Championships, and credits rowing with making her a stronger swimmer.
Coaches: Marty Calder, St. Catharines, and Dave Collie – Fonthill – are both coaches with Wrestling Canada and will be in Hannah Taylor’s corner in Paris.
Officials/Umpire: Ken Campbell, Rowing St. Catharines: The long-time rowing official and regatta chair in St. Catharines has been selected by Rowing Canada to be an umpire at the Paris Olympics.
Let the games begin!
Rod Mawhood is a lifelong Niagara native who has had the pleasure of working in all three mediums – Radio, Print and TV – for over 20 years. His first announcing gig was with the then St. Catharines Stompers. Since then he’s worked in radio and TV in Toronto, and currently is the announcer for the Niagara IceDogs and Niagara River Lions.
Rod also covers the Buffalo Bills for FOX Sports and the Buffalo Sabres for NBC Sports.
