Softball Canada Announces Olympic Team Athlete Pool

Softball Canada has announced the 21 athletes who have been named to Canada's Olympic softball team pool.

Those athletes will train with Team Canada and participate in pre-Olympics events over the next eight months leading up to the Tokyo Games. According to Canada's Olympic team selection criteria, athletes can be added to or removed from the pool whenever the coaching staff sees fit.

"It is nice to have the Olympic qualification behind us and to be able to shift our focus to prepare for the Olympic Games," Team Canada head coach Mark Smith said in a statement. "A lot of hard work went into preparing for the 2019 season, however, the next eight months will define how we will be remembered in Canadian softball history."

Team Canada clinched a berth in the 2020 Olympics when it defeated Brazil in September at the WBSC Softball Americas Qualifier. Mexico also earned an Olympic bid at that qualifying event.

Canada and Mexico will join Japan, the U.S., Australia and Italy for softball's first appearance at the Olympic Games since 2008 next summer in Tokyo. Competition begins July 22, with the gold-medal game slated for July 28.

See the 21 athletes in Canada's Olympic softball team pool below.

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