Canada’s Jean-Simon Desgagnés wins steeple gold despite falling at Pan Am Games
Desgagnés charged to steeple gold despite a fall on the final water jump
Photo by:
James Rhodes (@jrhodesathletics)
Canada’s Jean-Simon Desgagnés raced to gold in 8:30.14 in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase despite falling as he tackled the last water jump at the Pan Am Games in Santiago, Chile on Saturday. Desgagnés blasted ahead of his closest contenders, American athlete Daniel Michalski, who finished more than six seconds behind in 8:36.47, followed by bronze medallist Carlos San Martin of Colombia in 8:41.59.
Quebec’s Desgagnés was also the 2017 U20 Pan Am Games champion, and has had a fantastic season. He ran a PB and a new record for Quebec in the men’s 3,000-metre steeplechase in 8:17.40 seconds, at the Gyulai Istvén Memorial in Székesfehérvár, Hungary, his third PB of the season after running 13:37.67 in the 5,000 in March and the 1,500 in 3:38.50 in June.
“Going away with a medal in my first multi-sport Games is incredible,” a thrilled Desgagnés told Athletics Canada. “I had a little technical difficulty in the last 400 metres, but I kept raising myself back up and got away with a gold medal.”
Heading into the race, Desgagnés made no secret of his intention to strive for the win. “The goal when entering the race was a victory,” he noted. I would have consoled myself with a podium, but the primary objective was to win,” he told media post-race. “To do it in such a convincing way shows that I am dominant on the international scene.”
Desgagnés was a full-time student this year, completing a master’s degree in immunology and renal transplantation at Laval.
Charles Philibert-Thiboutot and Sarah Mitton win gold at Pan Am Games
Tokyo 2020 Olympian Alycia Butterworth also raced to a medal in the women’s 3,000m steeple on Saturday, claiming silver in 9:40.86. Butterworth finished less than one and a half seconds behind Argentina’s Belen Casetta. “In the final stretch, I was happy I could battle back from third to finish second,” Butterworth said. “Santiago did an awesome job hosting.”
Canadian track and field athletes performed exceptionally well at this year’s Pan Am Games, taking nine medals in track and field events, including four gold, three silver and two bronze. For full results, head here.
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