Can these three teams get back onto the medal podium?
December 20, 2024 by Theo Wan in Analysis, Opinion
Just right in time for the holidays, Ultimate Canada gave a gift to 83 athletes from across the country as they were named to the newest iteration of the U24 national teams. Some big names top this list including an impressive 20 returners from the 2023 cycle, which includes five standouts who starred for the senior national teams at the recent World Ultimate Championships in Australia this past September. Adding a mix of a lot of hungry first-timers with that experience, Canada is hopeful that this combination will help them make a deep run in Logroño, Spain. Here are some of the biggest stories that have come out of Ultimate’s Canada recent announcement.
Return to Glory
Let’s first get the elephant in the room out of the way: Canada had its worst performance at the U24 championships in 2023 as they failed to medal in any of the divisions for the first time ever. The open team got taken down by Germany 15-10 in the quarterfinals and fell to Japan by two in the consolation final to take sixth. Both the mixed team and the women’s team were edged out in tight third-place contests to finish fourth.
They say revenge is a dish best served cold and the teams from the Great White North are hoping that the relative youth of the 2023 cycle will pay dividends in 2024. For all you historians out there, take note. The open team will be searching for its first title since 20101 while the mixed and women’s teams are seeking their first championship at this level.
Returners Galore
To get themselves to the mountaintop, Canada will look to a bevy of returning players to bring their experiences from the UK to this year’s U24 iteration. Impressively, there are a total of 20 players2 that will don the Red and White for a second consecutive U24 cycle.
A Deep Dive Into the 2025 U24 Team Canada Rosters is only available to Ultiworld Subscribers
Already have a subscription? Log in
Whether you visit Ultiworld for our reporting, our podcasts, or our video coverage, you can help us continue to provide high quality content with a subscription. By becoming a subscriber, not only do you receive benefits like exclusive articles and full article RSS feeds, you also help fund all of Ultiworld's coverage in general. We appreciate your support!
