Andrew Lahodinski / COC, The Canadian Press / Justin Tang, ISA / Sean Evans
It's a big weekend for Team Canada athletes at home and abroad.
Some of Canada's best track and field athletes will compete at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. Canadian divers are aiming to make a home run at the Aquatics World Cup in Montreal, and there's plenty of excitement for curling in Regina with the 2024 Brier.
Beyond that, ski jumpers and cross-country skiers from Team Canada are competing in the World Cup Finals in Lahti, Finland, while Canadian surfers are making their way through the ISA World Surfing Games in Arecibo, Puerto Rico.
Here's what you don't want to miss this weekend:
Athletics
Team Canada is sending an experienced squad to Glasgow, Scotland for the IAAF World Indoor Championships this weekend, led by Olympians Sarah Mitton (shot put) and Alisha Newman (pole vault), both of whom have set new Canadian records in their disciplines already this month . .
Mitton hopes to improve things for the team, as the women's shot put final will be the first final of the meet on Friday. She threw 20.08 meters to set a new Canadian indoor record during the World Indoor Athletics Tour's stop in Czechia earlier in February.
READ: Sarah Mitton shoots for her Olympic goals and inspires the next generation
Other Team Canada athletes to watch out for on Friday include a pair of middle-distance Olympians: Charles Philibert-Thiboutot, who left a string of Quebec records in his wake during the lead-up to the World Indoors, including the outdoor mile And 3000 indoor meters. ; Plus Lucia Stafford, who has opened up a strong indoor season so far.
Read: Charles Philibert-Thiboutot: From the hardest times to a return to the top
Fans will have to wait until Saturday to see Newman in action. She improved on her Canadian record in the pole vault earlier in February, clearing 4.83 meters at the All Star Perche event in France.
CBC Sports will provide live coverage Of the entire competition.
The window
The 2024 Brier kicks off this weekend in Regina. This iteration of Team Gushue — made up of Brad Gushue, Mark Nichols, EJ Harnden and Geoff Walker — will try to win a second straight title, which will be the third in a row for Gushue, Nichols and Harnden. If successful, the Newfoundland-based team would tie Randy Ferbey's Edmonton team, which won three straight from 2001-03.
Gushue's team will play its first game against Nova Scotia's Matthew Manuel on Friday. Other Friday games include Alberta vs. Alberta when Aaron Sluszynski's team takes on Kevin Koe's team, himself a four-time Brier champion. Saskatchewan's Mike McEwen will take on Prince Edward Island's Tyler Smith. The Northwest Territories team captained by Jimmy Coe will compete against Team Quebec, which is captained by Julien Tremblay.
The champions will not be crowned until next Sunday, March 10.
Diving
The World Cup of Diving kicks off in Montreal this weekend. Many of the world's best divers will take part in the Olympic Park Sports Center as part of their preparations for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Twelve Canadian athletes are competing, including several divers who recently competed at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar.
Kylie McKay and Kate Miller, who booked their tickets to Paris 2024 in the women's 10m synchro at the World Championships in Doha, will compete in that event over the weekend as well as the women's individual platform event. Pamela Weir will compete in the women's 3m, the event in which she won bronze at the 2023 World Championships. Meanwhile, Springboard specialist Mia Vale has chosen to skip competing to focus on the National Olympic Trials, which will be held from 17-19 May in Windsor, Ontario.
Nathan Zsombor-Murray and Rylan Wiens, who also earned qualification for the upcoming Olympics in the men's 10m synchronized at the recent World Championships, will represent Canada at the event in Montreal and will also compete in the men's 10m individual event. Wiens used his time in Doha to secure an Olympic quota berth for Canada in the men's 10m with a fifth-place finish, adding to Zsombor-Murray's quota at the 2023 world championships. Brayden Hattie and Cedric Fofana will also compete in the 3m springboard. for men.
Preliminary qualifiers for the women's 3m and men's 10m were held on Thursday, followed by preliminary qualifiers for the women's 10m and men's 3m on Friday. The finals of Thursday's competitions will be held on Saturday, in addition to the finals of the men's 3-meter and women's 10-meter competitions. The finals of the competitions for which the preliminary qualifiers were held on Friday will be held on Sunday, in addition to the women's 3-meter synchro race and the men's 10-meter race.
Ski jumping
Skiing will be in the spotlight in Lahti this weekend, as the Finnish city hosts the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup and FIS Cross-Country Skiing World Cup stages.
The women's big hill ski jumping event is on the program on Friday, featuring Canadians Alexandria Loutit and Nicole Maurer.
Loutit, who is currently fourth in the overall World Cup standings, was consistent and finished near the podium in both events last weekend. She has finished second and third on track this season.
Eight Canadian cross-country skiers will compete in the World Cup finals, which begin Friday with women's and men's team sprints in the classic technique. This will be followed by the 20km classic for both genders on Saturday and the freestyle race on Sunday.
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Canadian surfers continue to make their way through the rounds at the ISA World Surfing Games in Arecibo, Puerto Rico.
Read: Surfing 101 with Sanoa Dempfel-Ohlin
Sanoa Dempfel-Ohlin, who qualified for Paris 2024 with her silver-medal performance in Santiago 2023, is the last Canadian standing in the women's event. She aims to continue progressing through repechage to reach the final.
On the men's side, Cody Young is still in the main round, after qualifying from the fourth round on Thursday. He is hoping to secure one of the five remaining men's Olympic spots. The competition continues until Sunday.
