McGill's Crook to represent Canada at torch relay in China
SHENZHEN, China -- Jenna Crook, a Regina native and science major at McGill University, has been selected to represent Canada in China's Summer Universiade torch relay, Thursday.
Crook, a water polo player with the national women's team, is one of 42 student-athletes from around the world who will take part in the 10-kilometre event in the streets of Shenzhen.
Hundreds of dignitaries and volunteers will also have the chance to carry the torch around the main Universiade stadium. Athletes will cover 30 per cent of the total distance with each of them running between 50 and 100 metres.
"I am extremely proud to represent my fellow Canadian athletes in the relay," said Crook, who is scheduled to be the fifth runner among Universiade participants. "This is an amazing opportunity and a great honour."
"The fact my mom is coming from Canada to attend the Games makes it that much more exciting. Unfortunately she only arrives later on Thursday so she will miss the torch relay. But I know she'll be really proud of me."
The 25-year-old is one of four returnees from the Canadian team that finished fourth in Belgrade, Serbia, in 2009, when women's water polo made its World University Games debut. A member of the Olympic roster that trains full-time in Montreal, she helped Canada capture the silver medal at the 2009 FINA world championships in Rome.
"Everything has been great since we arrived in Shenzhen. So far so good, but now we can't wait for the tournament to begin," added Crook.
Canada opens the water polo competition Friday at 11:20 a.m. local time (Thursday, 11:20 p.m. EDT), some nine hours before the Universiade opening ceremonies.
For Canadian head coach Heather Kaulbach, who was an assistant two years ago in Belgrade, Crook was a perfect choice to represent Canada in the torch relay.
"Jenna is definitely a key leader in our program. She was with us in Serbia when we barely missed the podium and she will be one of our leaders here in China."
Kaulbach has high expectations for her squad despite a tournament that promises to be highly competitive.
"Our goal is to reach the podium but we're in a very tough pool. Italy and China should be our main rivals in the preliminary round. The Chinese have to be considered favourites in their own pool. They're the defending Universiade champions and they're bringing their Olympic team that lost by a single goal to Greece in the final of last month's world championships."
A total of 246 Canadian athletes will compete in 20 sports in Shenzhen hoping to surpass the 15-medal tally (2-7-6) from 2009.
The women's and men's soccer teams get things started for Canada on Thursday, both against Great Britain at 4:30 p.m. local time (4:30 a.m. EDT).
Team Canada website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/universiade/summer
2011 Summer Universiade website: http://www.sz2011.org/Universiade
About the Summer Universiade
The Summer Universiade is an international multi-sport event that
takes place every two years and is second only to the Olympic Games
in the number of participating athletes and countries. Close to
9,000 athletes from over 150 countries will compete in Shenzhen.
The Universiade is open to competitors who are at least 17 and less
than 28 years of age as of January 1 in the year of the Games.
Participants must be full-time students at a post-secondary
institution (university, college, CEGEP) or have graduated from a
post-secondary institution in the year preceding the event.
-CIS-
For more information:
Michel Bélanger
Manager, Communications & Media Relations
Team Canada - 2011 Summer Universiade
Cell: 134-3059-0769
(note: from Canada dial 011-86 prior to number)
belanger [at] universitysport.ca