Canadian record 'quite a challenge' for runner Philibert-Thiboutot in Zürich after illness
Doug Harrison | CBC Sports | Posted: September 5, 2024 4:14 PM | Last Updated: September 5
Several international athletes vying for spot at Sept. 13-14 Diamond League Final
Charles Philibert-Thiboutot was hoping to take a serious run at reclaiming his Canadian record in the 3,000 metres Thursday in Zürich, though he isn't certain his body will co-operate.
After taking a mental break for a week following the Olympic men's 1,500-metre semifinals on Aug. 4 in Paris, the Quebec City runner battled bronchitis for two weeks and has only been able to properly train for the past week or so.
On Aug. 25, Moh Ahmed lowered the national mark in the 3,000 to seven minutes 31.96 seconds at the Silesia Diamond League meet in Chorzow, Poland.
Forty-nine days earlier, Philibert-Thiboutot went 7:35.73 at the Meeting de Paris to take the record from Kieran Lumb.
"I've been feeling better the last week or so but not nearly as sharp or race-ready as I was in Paris," Philibert-Thiboutot told CBC Sports in a text message from Switzerland.
"I do think there is some fitness left [from the Olympics] and I want to give my absolute best effort [Thursday] but the time Moh posted makes going for the [Canadian] record quite a challenge after [being sick]."
WATCH | Ahmed 6th over 3,000m in Canadian record time in Poland:
The 33-year-old from Quebec City enters Thursday's Weltklasse Zürich Diamond League meet fresh off a 3:54.47 effort in his second mile race since the Olympics. In between, he went 3:39.92 in a 1,500 in Tampere, Finland, over six seconds slower than his 3:33.29 personal best in the Olympic semifinals.
Philibert-Thiboutot watched Ahmed battle to a sixth-place finish in Poland, saying the 5,000m/10,000m specialist ran smart and finished strong in a race won by Paris Olympic champion Jacob Ingebrigtsen of Norway in a world record 7:17.55.
"The 3,000 metres is the perfect middle ground for us to meet and battle," Philibert-Thiboutot said of Ahmed. "Obviously, I wish to take the record again in the future or even go head-to-head."
After Thursday's non-Diamond League points race, Philibert-Thiboutot will run the 2,000m at a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meet in Zagreb, Croatia — he holds the national mark in the distance — before returning home for the Canadian 5K Championships on the road Sept. 21 in Montreal.
WATCH | Philibert-Thiboutot sets Canadian record in men's 3,000m:
There are several intriguing matchups Thursday at sold-out Letzigrund Stadium with many athletes vying for spot in the Sept. 13-14 Diamond League Final in Brussels, including Ingebrigtsen's main rival in the men's 1,500m.
Josh Kerr of Great Britain enters the 3:27 p.m. ET race two points back of Portugal's Isaac Nader for the 10th and final qualifying spot. Nader is not in the field. Kerry would take the tiebreaker as the athlete with the best legal performance of the season, his 3:27.79 British record performance at the Paris Olympics.
Ingebrigtsen tops the qualifying standings and will be looking for revenge after a fourth-place finish in the Olympic contest while Kerr, the reigning world champion, was second. Beating them for gold was American Cole Hocker, who enters Thursday's race one point behind Nader and one in front of Kerr.
Kerr has jawed with Ingebrigtsen on and off the track and was in fine form at this week's news conference. When asked about Ingebrigtsen's best quality, he sarcastically responded, "I would say his dress sense."
Alfred-Richardson hurdles showdown
St. Lucian sprint sensation Julien Alfred will go head-to-head with American Sha'Carri Richardson for the first time since Aug. 3 at the Paris Olympics in the women's 100m at 2:26 p.m. before a crowd of 25,000.
Alfred won 10.72 seconds on that rainy night at Stade de France for her first Olympic medal and went to capture a 200m silver medal. She is two points back of Gambia's Gina Bass for the sixth and final spot in the Diamond League Final, with the latter in Thursday's field.
Richardson is looking to remind her and seven others in the Zürich field why she is world champion.
Kerley in fight for Final berth
Like Alfred, Fred Kerley is on the outside of the Diamond League Final picture in the men's 200m entering Thursday's showdown at 3:18 p.m. With six points, he'll need to win to tie No. 6 Courtney Lindsey (14 points). Athletes are awarded 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 points for ranking 1st to 8th respectively in a competition.
Thursday's race features the Olympic 1-2 of Botswana's Letsile Tebogo and Kenny Bednarek of the United States. Last week in Rome, Tebogo clocked 9.87 seconds to win the men's 100m after claiming gold in the 200 at the Paris Olympics.
2 spots up for grabs in women's hurdles
It'll be three women's hurdlers battling for two Diamond League Final berths on Thursday at 3:41 p.m.
Ditaji Kambundji is in qualifying position but American Grace Stark and Nadine Visser of the Netherlands will be motivated on the start line as a berth in Brussels is within their grasp. Three points separate the athletes.
The race also features Paris Olympic champion Masai Russell of the U.S. and fellow medallists Cyrene Samba-Mayela of France and Puerto Rico's Jasmine Camacho-Quinn.
In the men's 110m hurdles at 2:36 p.m., it appears one spot in the DL Final will be up for grabs with American Trey Cunningham, sixth with 16 points, not on the start line.
Frenchman Sasha Zhoya (14), Italy's Lorenzo Simonelli (11) and American Freddie Crittenden (11) are in the mix.
Newly crowned Olympic champ Grant Holloway, Crittenden's teammate, is also in the field following his first loss of the season on Aug. 22 in Lausanne, Switzerland. The three-time outdoor world champion won the 2022 Diamond League Trophy in Zürich.
WATCH | Pole vaulter Duplantis wins sprint showdown against hurdler Warholm: