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Go Chuck PT! Quebec’s 1,500m runner talks about Olympic experience as he awaits Thursday’s race

Canadians crossed their fingers while the 1,500m heats finished up yesterday to see if Chuck PT would go through to race in the semi-finals with Nate Brannen. He is! In his downtime now before he heads to the track again tomorrow night, he has filled us in on his experience in Rio.

Philibert-Thiboutot

Philibert-Thiboutot

Canadian 1,500m track star Charles Philibert-Thiboutot— or Chuck PT as many know him as– ran a race that had Canadian fans in a cold sweat yesterday as they waited to see if his time in the 1,500m rounds would be good enough to push him through to the semi-finals. The Quebec runner ran 3:40.04 for an eighth place spot in the first heat. While that was much faster than the leading time in the second heat (3:46.82), athletes were running for a top-six place to automatically advance to the semi-finals. Failing that, they had to see if their time was one of the top six of the non automatic qualifiers.

 

Canada crossed their fingers for Chuck while the other two heats went through and got good news. He’s in and running with fellow Canadian Nate Brannen! But in this runner’s downtime while he waits to run tomorrow evening, he talked to us about his experience in Brazil and what it feels like to be an Olympic athlete running for Canada.

RELATED: What’s in Chuck PT’s race bag?

Canadian Running: What’s one non-running related thing you brought to Rio?
Charles Philibert-Thiboutot: I brought my film camera and I intend on trying to get good and colorful pictures of the city after my races.

CR: What’s the best part about being an Olympian?
CPT: Feeling the pride that almost every Canadian own’s towards Olympians. It’s like becoming heroes of the nations for a couple of weeks.

CR: What do you think of Rio?
CPT: Some places are very, very poor. I haven’t been to the nice parts of the city yet as the village is secluded from the heart of it, so I look forward seeing more of it. I’m sure it holds a lot of nice things.

CR: Which event on the track has had you the most excited so far?
CPT: Men’s high jump. Seeing Derek perfectly execute all of his jumps and make his way to Olympic gold was very exciting and inspirational to say the least.

CR: Name one thing you’re going to be doing in Brazil after you’re done racing.
CPT: I’m staying a few days with my girlfriend and we look forward discovering Santa Teresa, going to the Museum of Tomorrow and, of course, climbing to Christ the Redeemer.

CR: Tell us something about yourself that you want your fans in Canada to know. 
CPT: Making it here was very hard. I have pushed my body to it’s own limits on a daily basis now to make it that far, and to say that I’ve had doubts, struggles and tough days would be an understatement. I know the best in the world all work very hard. When it becomes tough for me, my will to improve and to make it there has fueled me to do the unthinkable in training– pushing through fatigue and handling the pain like few can. Of course I want a great result at the Games and it is my personal goal to do so, but I believe I am defined by the hard work that I’ve put in to become an Olympian. No matter the result, I know I will have given my 110 per cent on the track for my race, but also in the 365 days of training in the year leading to my Olympic races.

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