Nicole Sifuentes: 1500m

Name: Nicole Sifuentes
Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Club: Unattached
Coach: Mike McGuire
Age: 26
Personal Best: 4:04.76

Nicole Sifuentes qualified for the Olympics on her birthday, June 30th, after a third-place finish at the Canadian Trials in the 1500m. The 26 year old from Winnipeg ran the qualifying “A” standard at a twilight meet in San Diego, setting a new personal best of 4:04.76. She achieved the standard just in time for the Olympic trials after running just off the “A” standard at the Harry Jerome NTL meet finishing in 4:06.90. Sifuentes, formerly Edwards, began running middle distance in high school.

She was offered a running scholarship at the University of Michigan where she ran as a Wolverine for four years. There, Sifuentes participated on a number of successful relay teams. In her freshman year, Sifuentes ran on the distance medley team at the NCAA indoor championships where Michigan placed first. At the 2007 Penn Relays, Sifuentes ran a leg for the 4x800m relay and 4x1500m relay teams. Both relays won gold at the championship and raced to collegiate records. After University, Saucony offered Sifuentes an excellent sponsorship deal which has helped allow Sifuentes to train full-time.

Sifuentes has run for Canada on a number of occasions, first in 2003 at the world youth championships in Sherbrooke, Que. She qualified for the semifinals in the 800m. In 2010, Sifuentes was selected to compete at the world indoor track and field championships where she again did not make the final. However, in the fall of 2010, Sifuentes finished fifth at the Commonwealth Games.

Nicole married Tony Sifuentes in the winter of 2011. They both graduated with engineering degrees. Tony was on the varsity Rowing team at the University of Michigan. She continues to train as an alumnus in Ann Arbor, Michigan.