Stay informed with the LNN Daily Newsletter

Canadian teenage sports stars shining in 2018

Aug 14, 2018 | 5:15 AM

Canada’s top teen athletes are making their mark in some of the biggest international sports. Here’s a look at the accomplishments of five of the country’s teen stars in 2018, with age, sport and hometown in brackets:

 

Denis Shapovalov (19, tennis, Richmond Hill, Ont.)

— Reached career-high ranking of No. 23 in June.

— Reached semifinals of Madrid Open Masters 1000 event in May, highlighted by a win over Milos Raonic in first match between the two Canadians.

———

Felix Auger-Aliassime (19, tennis, Montreal)

— Reached career-high ranking of No. 120 this week after advancing to second round at Rogers Cup, featuring a win over then-No. 18 Lucas Pouille.

— Became the youngest player in history to defend an ATP Challenger title when he won in Lyon, France, in June.

———

R.J. Barrett (18, basketball, Mississauga, Ont.)

— Made national senior team debut this summer, helping Canada win two World Cup qualifiers.

— Led Florida’s Montverde Academy to a 31-0 record, and was named the Gatorade U.S. national player of the year, the U.S. high school title, the Naismith Prep Player of the Year, and the MVP of the Nike Hoop Summit.

———

Alphonso Davies (17, soccer, Edmonton)

— Played in MLS all-star game earlier this month in Atlanta after strong start to season with Vancouver Whitecaps, including two four-point games.

— Whitecaps landed MLS-record US$22 million transfer deal with Bayern Munich for Davies, who will join the German team next season.

———

Taylor Ruck (18, swimming, Kelowna, B.C.)

— Won a record-tying eight medals at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia in April.

— Won a Canadian record five medals at the Pan Pacific Championships this month in Tokyo.

The Canadian Press