Teens from B.C. and Yukon put on quite an impressive performance at this year’s Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships, earning a total of 34 medals and finishing in second place behind Ontario by only a single medal.
The 45th annual competition took place in Quebec from Aug. 11 to 13 and drew more than 900 athletes to compete in a total of 84 events.
Legion Nationals coordinator Steve Van Muyen said that this massive youth track and field meet is about so much more than just demonstrating athletic prowess.
“The competition is focused on positively impacting the lives of Canadian youth through meaningful engagement and life-changing experiences,” said Van Muyen.
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Several Maple Ridge teens travelled to the event, with one athlete coming away from the competition with a medal of his own.
Derek Frimpong laced up his running shoes and ran an impressive 36.83 seconds in the opening round of the U16 males 300m sprint, which was enough to put him in third place and earn a spot in the finals.
As the only B.C. teen in the final run, Frimpong managed to keep his cool and improve his time, clocking in at 36.36 seconds, which bumped him up into second place to win the silver medal.
That wasn’t Frimpong’s only medal from the event, with the Maple Ridge sprinter also getting bronze as part of the B.C./Yukon team in the U16 men’s 1600m sprint medley event.
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With this year’s Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships now wrapped up, Canadian youth athletes will be looking forward to competing at the 2024 and 2025 events, which will both take place in Alberta.
