Canadian runner Philibert-Thiboutot qualifies for Paris 2024 on Diamond League debut
Charles Philibert-Thiboutot will represent Canada for the second time at the Paris Olympics in July.
In his first attempt to break the 3:33.50 automatic qualifying standard in the men’s 1,500 meters, he clocked 3:33.29 in his Diamond League season debut on Sunday in Silesia, Poland.
“I hope the race will be fast [and] obviously I will keep the Olympic standard in mind,” Philibert-Thiboutot told CBC Sports earlier this week. “It would be nice to [hit it] immediately.”
The Olympic qualifying period opened on July 1, just 13 days after the Quebec City athlete lowered his personal best to 3:32.94 in Nancy, France. He ran 3:33.54 eight days early in Montesson, France, to end an eight-year drought between personal bests and meet the 3:34.20 auto standard for the August 19-27 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
“As soon as I crossed over [finish] line the first time in France, there was so much joy that all the frustration and doubts I had over the years were gone,” said Philibert-Thiboutot, who now lives in Vancouver. He was 12th of 14 finishers on Sunday.
“It was like confirmation that all those years of hard work, at least for me, were definitely worth it.”
At various times over the years, Philibert-Thiboutot’s PR efforts have been disrupted by the following injuries: stress fracture in his right foot, a left Achilles tendon, lower back problems, torn left calf and a sciatic nerve problem.
The four-time Canadian champion was also unlucky with race conditions not on his side, be it bad weather or getting heavy, stumbling and unable to find a rhythm, as was the case last month at the Portland Track Festival.
Ingebrigtsen sends warning shot to rivals
“The years between 2017 and 2020 when the injuries were big, you wonder if you will ever be able to perform again. [on the track],” said Philibert-Thiboutot, who failed to qualify for the 1.500 final at the 2016 Rio Olympics and placed 16th (3:40.79). worked with a sports psychologist , I can’t bear the negative emotions of the injuries forever. I got rid of them in 2022 and I’m a totally new athlete.”
Reigning Olympic 1,500km champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway won Sunday’s event in a 3:27.14 PB for a European record, cutting his world time of the season from 3:27.95.
The 22-year-old followed the field until the final lap, when he sprinted clear, beating the previous record by 0.81 seconds set last month at the Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway, and sending a warning shot to rivals for the worlds.
“Today I wanted a fast race and I wanted to go under 3:28 again. I knew that if I could do that, there was a big risk of setting another personal best,” said Ingebrigtsen, who won this season undefeated in 10 races. “The pacers helped a lot today, especially when Stewart McSweyn took over on the third lap. It’s not every day you get one of the best runners in the world to help you run fast. This result was the best I could do to hope.” Today.”
He fell short of the world record of 3:26.00 set by Morocco’s Hicham El Guerrouj 25 years ago in Rome.
“You can’t always think about records. Today I wanted one, but now I’m going to fully focus on preparing for the world championship,” he said.
Abel Kipsang was second in a 3:29.11 PB, followed by Kenyan teammate Reynold Kipkorir Cheruiyot (3:30.30), also a PB.
Simbine hands Kerley the first loss of the season
South Africa’s Akani Simbine picked up his second Diamond League 100 win in a row with a clocking of 9.97, with a difference of just 0.02 between the top four. American Fred Kerley took second place, suffering his first loss of the season.
“I know I’m the first to beat Fred this year, we have a good friendship, a good rivalry. I’m very happy with my performance and hope to continue my good form,” said Simbine.
LOOK | Simbine records 2nd win in a row over 100 meters:
The 29-year-old South African sprinter finished in 9.97, a tenth of a second ahead of the next two racers in the men’s 100m Diamond League meet in Silesia.
Kerley appeared unaffected by the loss.
“I have a good feeling about today’s race. Nothing was missing. I did my job,” he said from the 14th Kamila Skolimowska Memorial, a gathering in memory of the late hammer thrower.
American Sha’Carri Richardson won the Women’s 100 in 10.76, beating Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson by 0.02 seconds to secure her second Diamond League win of the year in the event.
“I like the time. I put in a great race. This was a great race, it was great. I executed it correctly,” said Richardson.
LOOK | Richardson stops rival Jackson from taking the 100 wives:
The Dallas native finished with a time of 10.76, beating Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson in the women’s 100 meters at the Diamond League game in Silesia.
Elsewhere:
- Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas set a new world lead of 15.18 meters to win the women’s triple jump.
- Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek cheered the home crowd as she comfortably won the women’s 400 meters with a personal best of 49.48.
- Favorite and world record holder Armand Duplantis jumped 6.01 meters to win the pole vault ahead of American Sam Kendricks.
Arop moves closer to the Canadian mark
The next Diamond League stop is next Friday in Monaco, where Marco Arop and Moh Ahmed will drive to Canada in the 800 and 5,000 respectively.
World No. 1 in his event, Arop ran a 1:43.30 SB for second place in the Meeting de Paris Diamond League competition on June 9, just 10-100ths of a second off Brandon McBride’s Canadian record .
Arop, the reigning national champion, achieved three top-three finishes on the professional athletics circuit in 2022.
Ahmed, who became Canada’s first Olympic medalist in the 5,000 with silver in Tokyo in 2021, has not raced since clocking 12:56.46 in the Golden Gala Diamond League in Florence, Italy on June 2.
The 32-year-old Canadian record holder in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters plans to race both events a few days later in Zurich at world championships and the 5,000 meters.
LOOK | Full coverage of Sunday’s Diamond League event in Silesia, Poland:
Top athletes visit Silesia, Poland for the next stop of the 2023 World Athletics Diamond League season.
Diamond League Calendar
- Monaco — July 21
- London — July 23
- Shanghai — July 29
- Shenzhen, China – August 3
- Zurich — August 31
- Brussels — September 8
