SASKATOON, Sask. — Swift Current Comprehensive School track and field athlete Kyler Duclos has been named one of 100 finalists in RBC Training Ground, the Canadian Olympic Committee's national talent identification program.
The 17-year-old earned a spot in the national final after competing against more than 3,000 athletes between the ages of 14 and 25 at qualifying events across Canada this year.
RBC Training Ground evaluates athletes in speed, strength, power and endurance before Olympic talent scouts in an effort to identify competitors with the potential to excel in Olympic sports.
The top 100 athletes will advance to the RBC Training Ground national final on Oct. 3 in Toronto. Thirty-five finalists will receive funding, a place in a national sport organization's development program and an accelerated pathway toward Olympic competition.
Duclos said he was surprised when he learned he had advanced to the final round.
"When I received the call telling me I had been invited to the final round, I was completely shocked and honestly in disbelief," he said in a statement released by RBC Training Ground.
"I had no idea that I even had the opportunity to be considered for something like this, so hearing the news was a moment I will never forget."
Speaking with SaskToday, Duclos said his journey to the national final began when his mother signed him up for an RBC Training Ground qualifier in Saskatoon.
"I got the opportunity to go and do a whole bunch of exercises in Saskatoon," he said. "A few people there asked me if I was interested in skeleton or track and field. I've loved track and field for a long time, so that's the opportunity I'm going to pursue and see what it has to offer."
After the qualifier, Duclos waited months without hearing any news.
"For the first two months, I wasn't getting anything back," he said.
The call eventually came after a standout performance at the Legion National Track and Field Championships, where he won gold in the long jump with a leap of 7.22 metres.
"I won nationals and since then I've been going to Toronto," he said.
The jump broke Saskatchewan's under-18 provincial record by 21 centimetres and left him just three centimetres shy of the Legion national record.
"That felt really good. I couldn't believe it when I did it," he said. "That was amazing. I have to thank my coach, Jayden Wiebe, for that."
Duclos said advancing to the national final ranks among the biggest accomplishments of his athletic career.
"Making it to the final round means the world to me," he said. "It feels like a huge step forward in my athletic journey and a reminder that all the work, sacrifices and dedication I have put into track are starting to open doors that I once never imagined were possible."
If selected as one of the 35 RBC Future Olympians, Duclos said the funding would help him compete at a higher level and continue representing Canada internationally.
"The funding would allow me to enter bigger competitions, travel to compete at a higher level, access more physiotherapy, and have the shoes and equipment I need to train and compete at my best," he said.
"This support would help put me in the best position to reach one of my biggest goals: competing at the U20 World Championships. It would also give me the opportunity to continue representing Canada, which is something I have dreamed of since I was a kid."
Lauren Gale, domestic programs and Safe Sport coordinator with Athletics Canada, said Duclos impressed evaluators at both the Saskatoon qualifier and through his recent competition results.
"Kyler recently competed in the Legion National Track and Field Championships," Gale said. "He finished with a 7.22-metre jump in the long jump to win a gold medal. He also set a provincial record and was only three centimetres shy of the Legion national record and 17 centimetres from the Canadian record."
"We're excited to see how he does at the RBC Training Ground national final."
Born and raised in Swift Current, Duclos began competing in track and field in Grade 7 after a friend, Manning Unger, signed him up for the school team.
"We joked about joining track, and I missed the sign-up day," he said. "He signed my name up anyway. I kind of gave him a hard time for it, but ever since then I've loved the sport, so I have to give him credit."
His rise in the sport was rapid. In his first season, he qualified for the national championships with Team Saskatchewan. After using his first two appearances to gain experience, he won bronze medals in the long jump and triple jump in Calgary, followed by a silver medal in the long jump the following year. This summer, he captured his first national title in the event.
Duclos said training in a smaller community like Swift Current has helped him develop the mental toughness needed to compete at an elite level.
"Mentally, you have to be tough, and that's something I've learned and come to appreciate through the sport," he said.
The Grade 12 student currently takes his classes online to accommodate his training schedule. On a typical day, he heads to the school gym before lunch and then spends time training at the track.
Duclos will leave Saskatoon on Oct. 2 and travel with two other Saskatchewan athletes to Toronto for the national final. He is scheduled to return on Oct. 5.
"I'm excited and I've thought about this a thousand times," he said. "Every single time I think about it, I still can't believe it. It's insane."
If selected following the national final, Duclos would begin working toward a potential place on future Canadian Olympic teams, including the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Finalists will undergo another round of testing in speed, strength, power and endurance, along with sport-specific evaluations conducted by partner national sport organizations. Athletes' physical measurements, sport-specific testing results and competition history will factor into selection decisions.
Transportation, accommodation and meals for finalists will be covered by RBC. Athletes will also have the opportunity to meet RBC Training Ground alumni and Olympic medallists during the event.
The 35 athletes selected to receive funding will be announced in the weeks following the national final. Funding is administered through participating national sport organizations and can be used for coaching, travel, equipment, transportation and nutrition expenses.
Launched in 2016, RBC Training Ground is a nationwide talent identification and athlete funding program designed to discover future Canadian Olympians. The program has tested more than 23,000 athletes and helped 28 participants advance to Olympic competition across four Olympic Games.
Eleven RBC Training Ground alumni represented Canada at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
A complete list of finalists is available on the RBC Training Ground website. A new season of the program is scheduled to begin in early 2027.
