Latest news with #2025CanadaSummerGames
Winnipeg Free Press
12-08-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Courting summer games glory
Manitoba punches well above its weight when it comes to women's indoor volleyball at the Canada Summer Games. At three of the past four (2009 Prince Edward Island, 2017 Winnipeg, and 2022 Niagara), the ladies repping Team 'Toba have brought home the gold. This year's group — which leaves Sunday for Week 2 of the 2025 Canada Summer Games (CSG) in St. John's, N.L., — doesn't need to be reminded of the province's recent success in the event. JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS Julia Martens says being ranked No. 1 puts pressure on Team Manitoba, but she and her teammates are going to do their best regardless. JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS Julia Martens says being ranked No. 1 puts pressure on Team Manitoba, but she and her teammates are going to do their best regardless. 'We haven't talked about it a ton, but I don't think there's necessarily pressure on us. It would obviously be nice to follow through and medal again, so, we'll see,' said setter Julia Martens, who guided Westgate Collegiate to the 2024-25 AAA high school provincial championship, after Monday evening's practice at the Sport for Life Centre. 'We're going in ranked No. 1 from the previous rankings so maybe that puts a bit of pressure on our team, but I think we're all just gonna go there, play our best, and we'll see what the outcome is.' If anything, Martens and Co. are embracing a bit of an underdog role after failing to reach the podium at last month's Canada Cup tournament in Niagara — a tune-up event for many provinces prior battling it out in St. John's. The CSG kicked off last Friday and runs through Aug. 25. Indoor volleyball action begins next Tuesday. 'We're not on the top of people's radars right now,' said Martens, who's taking her talents to the Manitoba Bisons this fall. 'Since we got the experience of seeing a lot of teams, we know we can compete with all the top teams. (Quebec) got third and we beat them (in straight sets). We know we're right there with all the top teams so it'll be fun to see what we can do at Canada Games.' If Manitoba manages to medal, captain Jersey Hansen-Young will likely be a big reason why. The standout left-side hitter from Brandon capped off her high school career in style by leading Vincent Massey High School to its first-ever AAAA volleyball crown and an incredible 50-2 record. Hansen will be joining Martens at the U of M. 'I don't think we were expecting to have the success that we did, and then, we kind of just got on a roll and didn't lose any games.'– team captain Jersey Hansen-Young 'I don't think we were expecting to have the success that we did, and then, we kind of just got on a roll and didn't lose any games,' said Hansen-Young on her historic senior year. 'We stayed humble the entire season. It was really cool to not be expecting to go anything like 50-2 like we did in the season, and then finishing it out the way we did, was really awesome.' Hansen-Young believes the big-match experience she gained from her high school run will help her at the national level. Although the 6-footer and her teammates won't be one of the taller squads at the competition, she's confident they make up for it in other ways. Hansen-Young, voted the No.1 Grade 12 player in the Free Press's annual varsity girls top 10 list back in November, also knows what to expect as her mom, Jolene, represented Manitoba at the 2001 CSG in London for beach volleyball, and her aunt, Becky, participated in indoor volleyball at 2005 CSG in Regina. 'We're a short team. We're not as big as most of the other provinces, but when we go out there, you can't tell the difference.'– Jersey Hansen-Young 'We're a short team. We're not as big as most of the other provinces, but when we go out there, you can't tell the difference,' said Hansen-Young. 'Even though we're shorter, we get up there when we're blocking, we get up there when we're swinging and we just have that little extra push because we are a little bit smaller than most teams. So, we just go out there and give it our all.' Fellow outside hitter Anna Filippin-Buller — a three-time provincial beach champion out of Collège Jeanne-Sauvé — is another name to watch. Filippin-Buller has committed to the University of Winnipeg Wesmen and will surely have some intense matches with Hansen-Young in the future, but this summer, she couldn't be happier to be teammates with the Brandonite. 'She's the calmest person I've ever played with. I'm a very high-low player, and she's a very neutral player, so, to have her on the court, she balances me out a little bit, so, I like it,' said Filippin-Buller. 'She's a great captain. We're on time for everything, like team meetings, team dinners, we're always together. She's a super inclusive person and a great leader for our province.' 'They're a team that really doesn't get intimidated, they just kind of go out and play.'– head coach Megan Bradshaw Megan Bradshaw, an assistant with Wesmen women's volleyball since 2019, is the head coach of the CSG team and likes what she's seen from her crop of Manitobans in their two months of training. 'They're a team that really doesn't get intimidated, they just kind of go out and play. They play with a lot of heart, and there's kids on our team who will run through a brick wall for you,' said Bradshaw. 'I think when you can look at your teammate and know they would do everything they can for you, that's what a team is.' Manitoba is in Pool A with New Brunswick, Quebec, and Saskatchewan. The top two advance to the quarterfinals. Taylor AllenReporter Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor. Every piece of reporting Taylor produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Diving their way to the Canada Summer Games
Starting 10 metres up, Corydon Wolfe stands at the edge of the platform at the Pan Am Pool, facing away from the water. Two toe bounces, and she's off — launching headfirst toward the board, throwing herself into a pike position and spinning two and a half times before hitting the five-metre-deep pool, trying to go through the water without making a splash. The complicated-sounding action is known as an inward two-and-a-half pike, or 405B — a new dive Wolfe has added this year as part of her platform list. Danielle Langlois / Intuition Studios Photo Diver Corydon Wolfe prepares for an inward two-and-a-half pike. Wolfe is one of 100 diving hopefuls participating in the 2025 Dive Manitoba Summer Provincials held at the Pan Am Pool June 6-8. At 16 year's old, the Revolution Diving team member has had a successful 10 years with the club so far, from new dives to national competitions. This weekend, she will try to add to her list of accomplishments at the 2025 Dive Manitoba Summer Provincials at Pan Am Pool, an event with higher stakes than usual. The 2025 Provincials, running Friday through Sunday, is the final selection opportunity to qualify for the 2025 Canada Summer Games in Newfoundland and Labrador in August. Wolfe, along with Revolution Diving teammates Evangeline Hedges, Mila Mortele, Vlad Tiaglei, Gabriel Brombach and Nicolas Landry, are the standout divers vying for selection at the conclusion of the competition. 'I'd be pretty thrilled to be a primary member,' said Wolfe, who was selected in 2022 as an alternate. 'I've never been to any sort of type of Canada Games, so I think it would be a really unique and interesting experience.' Manitoba Diving has the final say on which divers are selected for their maximum eight-member team, consisting of four males and four females. For female divers competing on springboard and platform, they must perform a minimum set of five dives from different directions. Over the course of the year, they are required to compete in at least two events featuring a national list to qualify, demonstrating those dives during Women's Open competitions. Ilya Yunanov, Revolution Diving coach and head coach of Team Manitoba Diving for the 2025 Canada Summer Games, says Wolfe has made significant progress throughout the year. 'She's added quite a few difficult dives on tower and three-metre,' Yunanov said. 'She has a very resilient mindset, growth mindset… She's focused, determined, but also fun. A lot of fun as a person, just smiling, cheerful, always in a good spirit, leading the team by example, by actions.' Nearly 100 divers from nine clubs across the country will be competing in the three-day provincials. 'I'm going to try and focus on knowing that I can do the dives and performing them well,' said Wolfe. 'Instead of trying to fix something that you can't really fix, try and be more confident with what I already have.' Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Yunanov says provincials is the best event on the calendar, as it features a broad range of athletes of various ages and skill levels, from novice to masters. 'Every provincials in Manitoba are at the end of the calendar year for competitions before the national team events in July,' said Yunanov. 'And that's why most of the divers from all around Canada send people here for that reason, to get the last chance to qualify, so the event becomes quite a busy one.' Provincials begin Friday at 9:05 a.m. with the girls' and boys' C-platform events. 'Everyone is welcome to come and watch,' said Yunanov. 'Diving is beautiful to watch. I would welcome everyone, bring their families, sit down, enjoy this magnificent sport, because it takes quite a bit of courage to do what our divers do.'
CBC
30-04-2025
- Sport
- CBC
100 days out, organizers say the final push for Canada Games prep is going strong
The 2025 Canada Summer Games are 100 days away, and officials in the host city of St. John's say everything is on track for the largest Games ever. "To see it from ... 2020 when we were awarded the opportunity to bid to where we are, over five years later now, and seeing all these plans come together … it is just so exciting." Karen Sherriffs, CEO of the Canada Games Host Society, told CBC News Monday. "There's just something amazing about the Games. You're bringing together all these athletes who have trained for many, many years. For many, it will be the pinnacle of their athletic [career]." Newfoundland and Labrador will welcome over 4,200 participants across Canada competing in 244 events in 19 sports from Aug. 8-25. It's expected to have an economic impact of about $125 million. More than 5,000 volunteers are also needed to pull off the event. Karl Smith, the host society's co-chair, said about 4,000 have committed so far but is confident they will reach their goal. Smith said the 22 venues in use over the course of the Games are coming together and will be ready for competition. WATCH | The CBC's Ryan Cooke reports from venues taking shape: In 100 days, N.L. will play host to thousands for the 2025 Canada Games 34 minutes ago Duration 1:30 For a little over two weeks in August, 4,200 participants will descend upon host city St. John's, and surrounding areas, for the 2025 Canada Games. The CBC's Ryan Cooke has this tee-up as the countdown kicks into high gear. "They're all going to be player -ready when the Games come around, including the Aquarena. 'Cause I know a lot of people have heard things about the Aquarena, but that's falling in place as well," Smith said. "I'm feeling absolutely fantastic. We can't wait to put the Games off." The host society will hold an event on Wednesday afternoon to mark 100 days to go and unveil the design of the medals athletes will be vying for. Leaving a legacy St. John's will host the Canada Summer Games for the first time since 1977. It's impact is still felt by those who experienced it and through legacy venues like the Aquarena, Sherriffs said, adding the group behind this Games want to create a similar legacy. "I think that's what motivates us each and every day. The ability to host our country, and we will be the largest ever Canada Games," she said. "That motivation of what is left after the Games, you know, I think that's truly the special part." Smith said more will also stay behind beside the venues, citing the gain of a knowledge base that could lead to more opportunities for the city and province in the future. "Hosting an event like this leaves a certain skill set, you know? And the volunteer community that come together for this will last for a long time, enable us to pull off lots of other great events." The next major milestone leading up to the Games is the torch relay, which starts on June 11 in Ottawa and will end with a provincial tour of Newfoundland and Labrador.
