Canada puts 5 rookies on Olympic triathlon team

Fivefirst-time Olympians three women and two men will represent Canada in Rio as a protracted selection process cameto an end on Wednesday.

KirstenSweetland, Amlie Kretz, andSarah-Anne Brault are the three women competing for Canada, whileTyler Mislawchuk and Andrew Yorkerepresent themen's side.

The announcement was expected earlier this month, but no Canadian had met the individual standards set by Triathlon Canada. The original requirements werea top-eight finish at the 2015 Rio test event, or the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in Chicago, as well as a subsequent top-eight at any World Triathlon Series eventin 2016.

These were revised toa secondary standard which, involveda top-eight finish at one of three "targeted"events (Abu Dhabi, Gold Coast, or Yokohama) plus any top-eight finish dating back to May 2014.

Neither standard was met, so a Triathlon Canada committee determined who would fill the three women's and two men's spots for Rio.

No returning Olympians, but there is experience

Brault, 26, isfrom Quebec City but lived and trained in Manitoba between the ages of eight and 18.Shehas five top-15 finishes on the World Triathlon Series.

Sweetland, 27, was a world junior champion in 2006 andwon silverat the 2014 Commonwealth Games.However, the Victoria-nativehasbeen through her share ofinjury nightmares. A bacteria infection in 2014 was later tested to bea toxic mold illness and a Rickettsia infection. Sweetland raced internationally only three times in 2015, but returned tothe World Triathlon Seriesin May of this year.

"This means everything to me. It's so much sweeter after the struggle I have had over the last 10 years to get here,"saidSweetlandin a Canadian Olympic Committee release."After a breakout season in 2014, and then facing an unimaginable amount of health issues, I never lost sight of my dream. To say it's been tough would be an understatement, but I have never been happier."

The youngest woman is 23-year-oldAmlie Kretz, from Blainville, Que.Her eighth-place finish at a World Triathlon Serieseventin Yokohamain May was a careerbest. It was also the final Olympic qualifying event on Triathlon Canada's revised criteria.

Mislawchuk, 21, from Oak Bluff, Man.,hastwo 10th-placefinishes Abu Dhabi then Yokohama this season. He was also 10that last summer's Pan Am Games. Yorke, 27, a native of Caledon East, Ont. wasseventhat the 2015 Pan American Games, the top Canadian finish.

"It is exhilarating for the five of us to experience such an epic event like the Olympics for the first time together. Fortunately we all have multi-sport games experience on the world stage," said Mislawchuk.

The men's Olympic triathlon event is up first onAug.18, followed by the women's event two days later.