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Compiled by Scott Taylor Photos by James Carey Lauder, David Larkins, Sport Canada, Sport Manitoba, Swimming Canada, Dave Mahussier/University of Manitoba, Bruce Fedyck, Basketball Manitoba, Drury University
Line-Up
SportsLife Magazine brings you the hottest news stories in Manitoba sports. Once again, we’ll catch up with a number of the star athletes who we’ve featured before and introduce you to some newcomers who have taken the local sports scene by storm…
WOG NAMED USPORTS’ FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR To no one’s surprise, Winnipeg’s Kelsey Wog has been honoured as the finest female athlete in Canadian university sports for 2019-20. Wog won four national gold medals (50m and 200m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke, and 200m individual medley), while her 200m breaststroke and 200m IM golds were USPORTS records. Wog’s 2:22.42 in the 200 breast is still the fastest time in the world in 2020, while her 100m breaststroke time of 1.06.44 was among the fastest in the last calendar year. Thanks to her stellar national championship, Wog was named the U SPORTS Female Swimmer of the Year. The (now) 2021 Olympics are now on Wog’s radar. Heading into 2021, her sights remain set on qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics, which are now scheduled for July of next year. Prior to dominating at Nationals in February, Wog earned four gold medals and a relay bronze at the Canada West Championships in November of last year.
Kelsey Wog named USports Female Athlete of the Year
RICHERT FINALLY RETURNS TO EUROPEAN RACING
David Richert with Inter-Europol
After spending some time back in Manitoba on the karting circuit, the province’s international auto racing star David Richert, is back in Europe. After many months of delay due to the pandemic, Richert, flew to France to compete at Ultimate Cup Series in late September. Richert drives Inter Europol Competition’s Formula Renault 2.0 race car and on Sept. 26 and 27, he was at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, a race track that previously played host to Formula 1’s French Grand Prix. Having signed a contract earlier this year with Inter Europol Competition, Richert was just a few days away from starting the season in the spring until COVID-19 interrupted all plans. The easing of international restrictions has paved the way for competition to resume once again. “It’s great to be back in a fast car,” said Richert. “Thankfully we David Richert’ made the right decision to stay in Canada as the coronavirus was just starting to advance across Europe. It was tough to see everything cancelled as I had spent many months preparing for the start of the season, but everyone across all walks of life was in the same boat so that was just David Richert’s the way it was. It’s great to get back to Formula Europol Renault racing again after a summer of Karting.” David Richert’s Kart
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