(Credit to International Olympic Committee)

By David Opinko

Six athletes and coaches with Southern Alberta connections at Olympics

Jul 23, 2021 | 11:13 AM

TOKYO, JAPAN – The Olympic Games are officially underway and this year’s event includes a few people who have called Southern Alberta home.

Canada has sent its largest delegation since the L.A. Games in 1984 with 371 athletes and 131 coaches.

“There is already excitement in the air as local children and youth return to sport. How inspiring for our young athletes to have these five exceptional people with ties to Lethbridge represent Canada on the Olympic stage,” says Susan Eymann, Executive Director of the Lethbridge Sport Council.

Neil Langevil, the Director of Pronghorn Athletics at the U of L, has personally worked with many of the locals attending this year’s Games and says, “We are so proud of all of Canada’s Olympians, especially those with Lethbridge connections.”

The opening ceremonies took place Friday morning and the Olympics run until Sunday, August 8.

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Provided by the Lethbridge Sport Council, below are the bios of the coaches and athletes with local connections competing at the Tokyo Olympics:

Lawrence Steinke – Athletics, Coach

A highly successful athlete in his own right, Lawrence Steinke has found even greater success as a coach. Steinke has been named a member of Team Canada’s coaching staff for the 2020 Olympic Games. The Tokyo Olympics will mark the fourth consecutive Summer Games at which Lawrence Steinke will have athletes he has coached in attendance in the form of Jillian Weir and Liz Gleadle. On top of his already significant Olympic resume, which spans well over the last decade, Steinke continues to be the head coach of the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns track and field team and is well recognized as one of the most prominent coaches in the sport of athletics in the country.

Liz Gleadle – Athletics, Javelin

Liz Gleadle will come into the Tokyo Games as one of Team Canada’s most experienced competitors with this being her third Olympic Games. While Liz plans on this being the final time she will compete at the Games, she also plans on making this the most successful Olympics of her career. She comes into the Games healthy, consistently throwing over 60 meters, with a meticulously crafted and well regimented routine, and with a mindset to achieve what she is always known that she is capable of.

Jillian Weir – Athletics, Hammer Throw

Stepping into the great hammer throwing legacy left behind by Olympians Jim and Heather Steacy, Jillian Weir has qualified for her first Olympic Games. Weir came to Lethbridge to train under Lawrence Steinke in 2019 after working with him at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia. Jillian is a dual citizen of the USA and Canada and is the daughter of three-time English Olympian Robert Weir. Prior to coming to Lethbridge Jillian had a strong career throwing in the NCAA with the University of Oregon and has made a number of previous national teams.

Kayla Moleschi – Rugby

A member of Canada’s historic Bronze medal winning Rugby 7s team at Rio 2016, Pronghorn alumni Kayla Moleschi comes into the Tokyo Olympics looking to lead Canada to a second straight Olympic podium. Moleschi played a single season for the Pronghorns in 2011 before graduating to the World Rugby Sevens Series. Moleschi has also represented Canada at two world cups and two Pan American Games the most recent of which (2019) she was named captain and led Canada to a historic gold medal.

Keyara Wardley – Rugby

Growing up in nearby Vulcan AB, Wardley played on a Deep South Lethbridge ARC team in high school and competed in the same league as Lethbridge’s high school teams. Now the Alberta native is heading to her first Olympic Games at the age of 21. Wardley will feature as one of the youngest and most promising prospects on the Canadian team at the Games having only just made her Senior debut in 2019. That is not to say that she lacks any experience however as Wardley won Silver and Bronze at the 2017 Youth Commonwealth Games and 2018 Youth Olympic Games respectively.

Ross Bekkering – 3×3 Basketball – Netherlands

Ross Bekkering, a native of Taber, took a leave from his teaching position at LCI to pursue an opportunity to compete at the Tokyo Olympics for the Netherlands 3 on 3 basketball team. Bekkering led the team in scoring (and ranked second overall) at the FIBA 3 on 3 Europe Romania Qualifier on June 26-27, 2021. Bekkering is a former Canadian-Dutch professional basketball player.