Kraig Devlin of Victoria will be going to his second Olympics in his second sport, but this time it will feel more like the real deal, after the delayed spectator-less, pandemic-scarred 2020 Tokyo Summer Games.
In Tokyo he was the high-performance director and team leader for the Canadian karate team and in Paris this month he will be the high-performance director and team leader of the Canadian boxing team.
“I am lucky and grateful to be able to transfer skills from one combat sport to another,” said Devlin, head coach of Varsity Performance Karate in Saanich.
After the announcement of the Canadian boxing team on Tuesday in Montreal, Devlin will stay in Quebec for the Canadian karate championships which begin today in Laval.
“I get to blend both worlds,” said Devlin.
Canada has qualified just two boxers for the Paris Olympics.
“It’s a small team but with a high ceiling,” said Devin.
Tammara Thibeault of Shawinigan, Que, won women’s 75-kilo gold at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games and 2023 Santiago Pan Am Games and was quarter-finalist in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Wyatt Sanford of Kennetcook, N.S., won bronze in the 2022 Commonwealth Games and secured his spot in Paris with gold in the 2023 Pan Am Games.
“I am proud of their achievements. Both have good draws and the objective is the Olympic podium in Paris,” said Devlin.
Devlin said the key to being a good high-performance director and team leader in the Olympics, or any event: “Is to establish team leadership, direction and culture without overhandling the coaches or stepping on their toes.”
Devlin said the boxing team for the 2024 Summer Games missed being larger with a number of Canadian boxers failing to qualify for Paris by the smallest of margins. Among those who fell just short during the qualifying process were Terris Smith of Sidney and Bryan Colville of Sooke.
