Looking forward to 2021

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/03/2020 (2043 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba’s male athlete of the year, triathlete Tyler Mislawchuk is training for a spot on the Olympic podium but his medal dream has been postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

On March 22, the Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee were the first national  organizations in the world to announce that their country’s athletes would not compete in the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. On March 24, the International Olympic Committee and Tokyo Organising Committee announced the Games postponement to 2021.

At 25, the Oak Bluff resident, is reaching his peak as an athlete.

“I’m coming into my best years,” he said, from his current home in Winnipeg.

At an Olympic test event last year that mimicked the triathlon course and conditions set for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, Mislawchuk placed first. This achievement fuelled his hopes of earning a medal for Canada this summer.

Mislawchuk competed in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games as one of the event’s youngest triathletes, placing 15th.

He said he isn’t surprised that Canada decided to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics and believes it is the right decision. He expects that other countries will follow.
Speaking on March 23, Mislawchuk was on day nine of a 14-day self-isolation period after he returned to Winnipeg from training in Portugal.

He’s using home equipment to keep in shape and hopes to compete in smaller events before summer 2021.

“For now, my plan is to stay home and focus on my family and community.”

Mislawchuk was named male athlete of the year by Sport Manitoba on March 21.

“I’m extremely happy to win that,” he said.

The awards ceremony itself was cancelled, so all Sport Manitoba award winners were announced online.