Canadian High School Track and Field Athletes Go For Gold At Nike High School Grand Prix

High school track and field athletes compete across provincial borders for the first time

TORONTO, May 12, 2012 /CNW/ - Today, over 250 track and field athletes from across Canada will compete in the Nike High School Grand Prix - Canada's first invitational high school track and field event. Launched by School Sport Canada - in a joint venture with integrated marketing agency TrojanOne and sponsored by Nike Canada - the Nike High School Grand Prix aims to celebrate sport, culture and youth, while inspiring Canada's 200,000 high school track and field athletes to raise the bar.

"The goal of the Nike High School Grand Prix is to bring Canadian track and field student athletes together in a celebration of their sport," said Doug Gellatly, President, School Sport Canada. "We hope that when this weekend is over, the participants will have developed new skills, made new friends and had an experience of a lifetime."

Since arriving in Toronto on Thursday, track and field athletes representing 22 schools from 10 provinces and territories across Canada have been taking part in social and educational activities leading up to today's track and field event. These activities included a guided tour of Toronto's most popular cultural destinations and advice and insight from Canadian Olympic heptathlete, Jessica Zelinka.

The Nike High School Grand Prix events include: 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m run, 110m hurdles (boys), 100m hurdles (girls), long jump, high jump, shot-put and the 4 x 100m cross-provincial relay. One male team and one female team will be declared the event winner at an awards banquet held this evening.

"At Nike, we believe in the power of sport and its ability to transform lives," said Tracie Chiarella, Brand Manager, Nike Canada. "The Grand Prix will be a great opportunity for Canada's high school track and field athletes to compete at a national level for the first time ever in this country."

High schools interested in participating in the 2013 Nike High School Grand Prix are encouraged to visit http://www.highschoolgrandprix.ca/ for more information.

The location for the 2013 event has not yet been announced.

About School Sport Canada
School Sport Canada (SSC) is the national body for school sport in Canada. SSC is the largest structured sport organization in Canada, with over 750,000 student athletes, 52,000 volunteer teacher coaches and 3,200 schools in the member provincial and territorial federations and associations.  SSC member associations and schools promote and advocate for positive sportsmanship, citizenship and the total development of student athletes through interscholastic sport. For more information, visit www.schoolsport.ca.

About Nike
NIKE, Inc. based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the world's leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly owned Nike subsidiaries include Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; Cole Haan, which designs, markets and distributes luxury shoes, handbags, accessories and coats; Umbro Ltd., a leading United Kingdom-based global football (soccer) brand; and Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories. For more information, visit www.nikebiz.com.

Media Contact:
Laura Connor, Communications Specialist, TrojanOne
[email protected] | 416-355-2659