On Thursday afternoon Athletics Canada announced a contingent of 50 athletes for the upcoming 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, including four Varsity Blues cross country and track alumnae in Madeleine Kelly, Lucia Stafford, Jazz Shukla, and Sasha Gollish.

The announcement comes directly following the 2023 Bell Canadian Track & Field Championships where Kelly claimed the top step in the 800 metre and Stafford ran to gold in the 1500 metre. Meanwhile, Shukla wasn't far behind Kelly finishing third in the 800 metre. All three runners will compete in those same events on the world stage with the world championship taking place from August 19 to August 27.

As for Gollish, the long-distance runner will compete for Team Canada in the marathon at the World Athletics Championships. A well decorated athlete with the Varsity Blues, she has also previously claimed a national championship in the half-marathon and recently won the NACAC Half Marathon Championship in Costa Rica. She also reached the podium in 2022 at the Canadian 10k Road Running Championships, Bell Canadian Outdoor Championships (5000m), and Canadian 10,000m Championships.

From U SPORTS to the world championships, the quartet of runners previously all competed together as Varsity Blues capturing the 2017 U SPORTS Cross Country National Championship in Victoria, B.C.
 
In addition, Athletics Canada announced another 47 athletes who may yet join Team Canada for the world championship event, subject to World Athletics invitation. Included on this list were another two Varsity Blues track and field athletes in triple jump standout Femi Akinduro and sprinter/hurdler David Adeleye. Confirmed invitations from this list are expected by Saturday, August 5.