Islander Matthew Sharpe and the Canadian mixed relay team鈥檚 chances for the podium at the Tokyo Olympics have suffered a blow with the withdrawal from the Canadian team of star Tyler Mislawchuk due to an Achilles injury incurred in the men鈥檚 race this week.
The relay takes place today at 3:30 p.m. PT.
Alternate Alexis Lepage will replace Mislawchuk.
鈥淭his decision is not made easily in light of how 颅competitive all our athletes are,鈥� said Eugene Liang, high 颅performance director of 颅Victoria-based Triathlon sa国际传媒.
The relay team will now 颅consist of Sharpe, Lepage and veteran women Joanna Brown and Amelie Kretz.
鈥淚t鈥檚 devastating not to have the opportunity to line up with my teammates in the Olympic debut of the mixed team relay,鈥� Mislawchuk said in a statement.
鈥淚t will be tough 颅watching from the sidelines and not being able to contribute. I know 颅[Lepage] is up to the task and will make sa国际传媒 proud.
鈥淚 will be supporting my teammates and will be cheering them on with the rest of sa国际传媒.鈥�
Campbell River-native Sharpe, who moved down-Island to train in Victoria and 颅graduated from Claremont Secondary, is known for his fast starts and will contest the lead leg.
鈥淲e鈥檙e under the radar and we鈥檙e fine with that. We鈥檙e totally dialled. We just want to make sa国际传媒 proud,鈥� he said.
