A look back at the top Canadian performances of 2024

We’re just about at the end of 2024, so it’s time to look back at some of the best Canadian performances of the year. Despite having a small population compared to some of the other triathlon powerhouse countries, Canada is well-represented on the world stage, from short-course racing all the way up to ultra-distance competition. There have been so many incredible races from remarkable Canadians this year, but here are a few that stood out.

Lionel Sanders takes Oceanside

Lionel Sanders has been a top athlete on the Ironman and 70.3 circuits for a number of years now, but at the end of his 2023 season, he said he was frustrated with what he viewed as a series of lacklustre performances. He closed out his season with a third-place finish at 70.3 Augusta, then made a sweeping declaration that he wouldn’t race again until he was “a better athlete.” That was in September, and by April, he clearly felt he had improved, as he lined up to race 70.3 Oceanside.

Sanders had won Oceanside twice before (in 2016 and 2017), but he wasn’t going to be able to rely on his familiarity with the course at this year’s event. The field was stacked, with American star Sam Long, Belgium’s Jelle Geens (who would go on to win the 70.3 worlds later in the year), and many other top athletes looking to take the crown in California. Sanders didn’t let this faze him, and he flew to a huge win in 3:46:24 thanks to the second-fastest bike of the day and third-fastest run. This kickstarted a solid season that saw Sanders win 70.3 Mont Tremblant and Ironman Canada in Penticton, B.C.

Jen Annett’s Ultraman records

Jen Annett was always a solid Ironman racer, but in 2024 she took the leap up to Ultraman and wowed everyone. She ran her debuted at the three-day stage race in July, competing at Ultraman Canada in B.C. The Ultraman is 515 kilometres in total, with athletes swimming 10 kilometres and biking 145 on the first day, biking another 276 kilometres on the second, and running a double marathon (84 kilometres) on the third and final day.

In B.C., Annett posted a mind-boggling time of 21 hours, 39 minutes, and 32 seconds, breaking the previous world best by a female by an hour. She won the race outright and locked in her spot at the Ultraman World Championships in Hawaii in November. At the worlds, Annett pieced together a come-from-behind win over Denmark’s Michelle Vesterby. Annett set a new women’s Day 2 bike course record in Hawaii, a run record, and the overall course record with her winning time of 23 hours, four minutes, and 56 seconds. She once again won the race outright after such an incredible performance.

Tyler Mislawchuk gives it his all in Paris

Tyler Mislawchuk has been one of Canada’s top short-course racers for years now, and he headed to Paris in the summer to compete at his third Olympic Games. In his Olympic debut in Rio in 2016, he finished 15th. This was a tremendous start to his Olympic career, and moving toward the 2020 Games, he looked poised to do something big. After winning the Olympic test event in 2019, Mislawchuk was pegged as a medal threat in Tokyo, but he fell short, once again finishing in 15th.

In Paris, he wanted more, and he gave everything he had to get there. He was in the fight for a medal for much of the race, holding onto a shot of the podium late into the run. After battling it out in the heat for so long, though, he faded from medal contention. Even then, he didn’t give up, charging to the line for ninth place. It was an incredibly gutsy, gritty performance that made Canadians proud.