SPRINGFIELD – Junior-to-be Marissa Kurtimah became the sixth Missouri State track and field athlete in program history to qualify for the Summer Olympic Games Monday (July 11). The sprinter will represent her home country of Canada at the Rio de Janeiro Games in August after being selected to compete on her country’s 4×100-meter relay team.
Clocking in a second-place time of 11.42 seconds in her heat of the 100-meter dash at the Canadian Olympic Trials, Kurtimah advanced to the finals where she darted to a fifth-place finish that ultimately guaranteed her a spot on the Canadian Olympic relay team. To qualify for a relay event, individuals must finish in the top-six in the Trials. Her times clocked in during the season at MSU – including her outdoor All-MVC performance in the 100-meter dash (11.34 seconds) and four first-place finishes during the 2016 outdoor season – also aided in her selection to the Canadian Olympic Team.
“This is so very special to me,” commented Kurtimah. “I’ve always dreamed of going to the Olympics and now that my dreams have come true, I am completely shocked. I have worked extremely hard to get to this point and now that this opportunity is here, I am just filled with excitement and I am truly grateful and blessed.”
“It’s been fun watching Marissa perform,” said Ronald Boyce, MSU’s Director of Track and Field and Cross Country. “Her accomplishments are all reflective of the time and effort that she has put into her work on a daily basis. Making an Olympic team is one of the biggest goals for any athlete and to complete this feat as a junior is outstanding. We are tremendously proud of all that she has done and are glad that she is one of us (Bears) and wears the Maroon and White.”
The native of Guelph, Canada will add her name to the list of former Bear standouts who have represented their countries at the Olympic Games which also includes: Dedra Davis (long jump – Bahamas, 1992), Michelle Baptiste (long jump, 100-meter dash – St. Lucia, 1996), Verneta Lesforis (400-meter dash – St. Lucia, 2000) and Jamial Rolle (200-meter dash – Bahamas, 2008). Rolle (100-meter dash) and first-time Olympian Fabian Florant (triple jump, The Netherlands) will join Kurtimah in Rio and compete for their countries in their respective events.
