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Who to watch at the Games

A look at 10 Canadian athletes to watch at the Commonwealth Games, which open Sunday in New Delhi:

A look at 10 Canadian athletes to watch at the Commonwealth Games, which open Sunday in New Delhi:

Susan Nattrass

Shooting

The 59-year-old Nattrass is a pioneer in women’s trap shooting. She was the first female shooter to compete at the Olympics, making her debut in the 1976 Montreal Games. The Edmonton native, a two-time silver medallist and three-time bronze medallist at the Commonwealth Games, says this is her final appearance at the “Friendly Games.” A seven-time world champion and six-time Olympian, Nattrass hopes she has one more Summer Games in her. She’s gunning for a spot on the 2012 London Olympic team.

Alexandre Despatie

Diving

Canada’s most decorated diver made his memorable debut at the Commonwealth Games in 1998 when he captured gold in the men’s tower at the age of 13. The 25-year-old Montreal native has gone on to win six more Commonwealth Games medals and is the two-time defending champion in both the one- and three-metre springboard events. Despatie has won world titles on all three boards and has two Olympic silver medals in his collection. He’s finally on the mend after battling injury the past two seasons.

Michael Barry

Cycling

The Toronto native is a member of the UK-based Team Sky professional team and competed in the Tour de France for the first time this year. The 34-year-old was ninth in the road race at the 2008 Beijing Games — his third Olympics — and ninth in the same event in his only Commonwealth Games appearance in 2002. The father of two is also an avid writer, recently publishing a book “Le Metier: The seasons of a professional cyclist.”

Jessica Zelinka

Track and Field

The 29-year-old from London, Ont., competes in her first major international event since taking a year off to give birth to one-year-old daughter Anika. Zelinka was fifth at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in a Canadian-record performance. She also won gold at the 2007 Pan American Games in a gutsy performance, running the 800 metres with what she would later discover was a torn tendon in her foot. Zelinka is married to Canadian men’s water polo player Nathaniel Miller.

Carol Huynh

Wrestling

The 29-year-old from Hazelton, B.C., landed in the international spotlight when she captured Canada’s first gold medal of the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 48-kilogram class. Huynh’s parents fled Vietnam in 1980 and arrived penniless in Hazelton, a tiny town of about 350, where they were sponsored by the United Church. Huynh — pronounced win — is an eight-time Canadian champion.

Anna Rice

Badminton

Canada’s top-ranked player at No. 29 will make her final international appearance in New Delhi. At the Beijing Olympics, the 30-year-old from Vancouver became the first Pan American athlete to achieve a top-16 finish, losing in the round of 16. The five-time Canadian champion has travelled to 50 countries in more than a decade on the national team, but never to India.

Ken Pereira

Men’s Field Hockey

The 37-year-old midfielder will carry Canada’s flag into the opening ceremonies, the first Canadian team sport athlete to do so at a Commonwealth Games. He’s a two-time Olympian, his memorable goal in the 1999 Pan Am Games final launching the Canadians into the 2000 Olympics. Pereira will make his fourth Commonwealth appearance but this one will be particularly special. While he was born in Toronto, his family is from the Indian state of Goa.

Ryan Cochrane

Swimming

The 21-year-old captured Canada’s only swimming medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a bronze in the 1,500 metres, snapping an 88-year medal drought at that distance. Cochrane briefly held the Olympic record en route to the final but it was topped by Australian star Grant Hackett. The Victoria swimmer is having a strong season, winning two gold and a silver at the recent Pan Pacific championships.

Marie-Pier Boudreau-Gagnon

Synchronized Swimming

Since synchronized swimming became a Commonwealth Games sport in 1986, Canada has thoroughly dominated the event by winning all 12 gold medals. Boudreau-Gagnon has been part of that dominance. The 27-year-old from Riviere-du-Loup, Que., won gold in solo and duet at the 2006 Games in Melbourne. She also won silver in the free solo event at the 2009 world championships and bronze in the team combo.

Justin Mensah-Coker

Men’s Rugby

At six foot six, Mensah-Coker is believed to be the tallest winger in international rugby. The 26-year-old from Vancouver was a basketball star in high school, garnering interest from several American universities before choosing rugby. He’s played professionally in Europe since 2006. Mensah-Coker scored three tries in his first five appearances for Canada.