Priscilla Lopes-Schliep's bronze-medal performance in the 100-metre hurdles was one of the highlights for Canada at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. (Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press)

One week shy of her 26th birthday, Priscilla Lopes-Schliep reached a major turning point last August at the Beijing Olympic Games as she crossed the finish line in the 100-metre hurdles final in third place.

She not only secured Canada's first Olympic track and field medal in 12 years, but she positioned herself to become Canada's top international contender.

It appears she'd only begun to fly at that point.

This spring in May in Doha, Qatar, Lopes-Schliep, a two-time NCAA silver medallist at the University of Nebraska, lowered her career best for the 100-metre hurdles to 12.52 — the fastest time run in 2009.

It's also one of several strong showings from Canadian track and field stars in the United States and overseas. They've aroused a great deal of local interest in athletics, not seen since the 1960s. Bill Crothers and Bruce Kidd were the stars back then, when big track meets at the University of Toronto's Varsity Stadium were a regular occurrence.

Two important meets are set for the recently refurbished Varsity site, including Thursday's Festival of Excellence, headlined by triple Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt of Jamaica in the 100-metre sprint. The Canadian Track and Field Championships and World Trials follow June 25-28.

Other Canadians have fared well during the spring. Hammer thrower Sultana Frizell of Perth, Ont., who trains in Kamloops, B.C., with former Soviet gold medallist Dr. Anatoly Bondarchuk, was third in the Doha meet. She then smashed the national record at the Mt. Sac Relays in California and again in Oregon at the Steve Prefontaine Classic, extending her record toss to 72.07 metres.

Another Kamloops thrower, shot putter Dylan Armstrong, won in Belgrade, Serbia, earlier this month. The 28-year-old just missed a medal in Beijing, placing fourth and has a top-10 throw in 2009.

Festival of Excellence focus is on Lopes-Schlieb-Felicien rivalry

Middle distance man Nathan Brannen of Cambridge, Ont., ran a strong mile at the Prefontaine Classic, placing third with a time of three minutes 52.63 seconds. He'll be joined at the Festival of Excellence by three-time Canadian Olympian Kevin Sullivan of Brantford, Ont., and teenage sensation Jeremy Rae, a 17-year-old Grade 12 student from Port Colborne, Ont.

They'll be chasing Kenya's Shedrack Korir, one of the world's best 1,500 competitors, who enjoys running in Canada. Two years ago he received a new car for winning a mile race in Cambridge.

While Bolt, who set world records in the 100, 200 and 4x100 relay in Beijing is certainly the focal point of the Festival of Excellence, the hurdling battle of Whitby vs. Pickering commands the local spotlight.

Lopes-Schliep of Whitby, Ont., has overtaken Pickering native Perdita Felicien, a former world champion — outdoors and indoors — for top hurdling honours.

Felicien's fall at the first hurdle in Athens five years ago is an iconic moment, one that most Canadian sports fans have burned into their memory. Three years later at the 2007 world championships in Osaka, Japan, she won a silver medal, proving that she could still be one of the best. Unfortunately she sustained another foot injury and couldn't run in the Beijing Olympics, where Lopes-Schliep flourished.

They've already met on the track this season, the latest a photo finish at the Prefontaine Classic, where Lopes-Schlieb finished behind a couple of Americans and just ahead of Felicien.

They'll meet twice more within 16 days at Varsity Stadium with the national 100-metre hurdles final scheduled for Saturday on June 27 (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 4:30, p.m. ET).