David Moulongou continued his remarkable early-season form last week as Ottawa Lions athletes produced a series of standout performances across three World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meets in southern Ontario.
Competing at the Bob Vigars Classic in London, the Royal City Inferno in Guelph, and the Johnny Loaring Classic in Windsor, Lions athletes combined for club records, personal bests, national-level performances and championship standards while travelling up and down Highway 401.
Moulongou delivered the performance of the week at the Royal City Inferno, clocking 49.92 in the 400-metre hurdles to break his own club record for the third time this season. The performance moved him to 10th on the Canadian all-time list and comfortably under the Commonwealth Games qualifying standard.
The University of Ottawa athlete opened the week with a 46.76 over 400m in London – the fourth-fastest performance in Club history – before closing the series with another impressive hurdles performance in Windsor, finishing third in 50.15, the second-fastest race of his career.
Moulongou was not the only Lion producing world-class performances.
Lauren Gale opened her week in Guelph, racing in a field that looked more like a Canadian championship final than an early-season meet. The two-time Olympian finished third in 51.95 behind national team members Diana Proctor and Zoe Sherar. Gale returned to Windsor three days later and turned the tables, taking victory in 51.97 as she continues her preparation for next week’s Canadian Track and Field Championships in Ottawa.
Middle-distance runner Safwan El Mansari continued his ascension over 800m in Windsor, running a personal best 1:49.91 to finish third in the strong field. The performance moved him to seventh on the Club’s all-time U23 list.
Stephen Evans also dipped under 1:50, running a season’s best 1:49.68 in Guelph, while Amy Stieh recorded a personal best 2:11.63 in the women’s 800 metres in London.
Several Lions athletes posted notable performances in the sprints and jumps.
Maria Okwechime opened her outdoor season in London with a 5.94-metre leap to finish second in the long jump. David Adeleye was third in the 110-metre hurdles with an all-conditions personal best of 13.80 (+2.2 m/s) before returning in Windsor to place second against a stronger field in 14.04.
Luca Nicoletti enjoyed a breakthrough weekend in Windsor, recording personal bests in both sprint events. The McGill standout ran 21.37 for second in the 200 metres before returning to finish third in the 400 metres in 48.78.
Rose Basu also doubled up on the podium, running a personal best 12.09 for second in the 100 metres before narrowly missing another personal best in the 200 metres, finishing second in 24.94.
Sharelle Samuel rounded out the weekend with a season’s best 55.89 in the 400 metres, her fastest performance since 2022.