In a final tune up before this week’s Canadian Olympic Trials, Lions athletes put forward a string of remarkable performances at La Classique d’Athletisme de Montréal last Friday night leaving little doubt they are ready to take on the best the nation has to offer.
Kevin Robertson and Stephen Evans: Record-Breaking Performances
Racing in some off distance events, Kevin Robertson and Stephen Evans made the most of their opportunity to prove fitness and set the track on fire. The pair of defending national bronze medalists each bettered their own Club records and showed they are primed and ready to roll at the Olympic Trials.
Kevin Robertson’s race almost didn’t happen. When the Grand Prix event was moved from Centre Sportif Claude Robillard to the Ben Leduc Track in St. Laurent, the 2000 metre steeplechase was originally going to be cancelled, but thanks to some last minute manoeuvres fans were treated to the second fastest performance in Canadian history.
Running well behind the leaders for nearly the entire race, Robertson bided his time before throwing the hammer down over the final three quarters of a lap. By the time he reached the final water jump, Robertson had closed the gap from 20 to less than 5 metres and quickly ran off to take the lead as he cleared the penultimate hurdle and sprinted for home. Robertson crossed the finish line in an eye-popping 5:29.27, obliterating his previous Club record of 5:47.55. The only faster Canadian is Graeme Fell’s 5:21.97 in 1990.
Stephen Evans became the first Lion to ever eclipse the 2:20 mark for 1000 metres Friday night as he took victory in Montreal in 2:19.77. The path to the top spot was equally impressive as the time itself. As Evans hit the bell in 1:23, he was overtaken by Olympian Charles Philibert-Thiboutot for top spot, but a powerful kick down the homestretch propelled the 27-year-old to victory and past his previous Club record set in January 2023.
Zach Jeggo and Quinn Coughlin: Rising Stars in the 400 metre hurdles
A pair of rising stars, Zach Jeggo and Quinn Coughlin, delivered standout performances in the 400 metre hurdles Friday night in Montreal – each improving their lifetime bests and demonstrating they are ready to compete with the best in the country at the national championships.
Quinn Coughlin made an astonishing improvement, cutting more than a second and a half off her previous time as she crossed the line in a time of 1:00.30. Coughlin’s time currently ranks her second among U20 athletes in Canada and catapulted her to 10th place on the Club’s all-time rankings.
Zach Jeggo, competing in the same event, secured third place with a time of 52.97. This remarkable run pushed Jeggo up to fifth on the Club’s U20 All-Time rankings and also sees him second nationally in the U20 category.
Sydney Smith: Consistency in the 1000m
Sydney Smith continued her impressive form, running the second-fastest 1000 metre race of her career with a time of 2:43.13. Smith finished fifth overall among a field that included many of the same athletes she will go to battle with over 800 metres at the Trials.
Full results from La Classique are available on our website.
Photos from La Classique are available at MundoSportImages.com
Updated Club rankings are available at http://milesrowat.shinyapps.io/ottl_rankings/