Gabriela DeBues-Stafford finishes fourth in 3,000m
In what came down to a one-lap kick, DeBues-Stafford finished just shy of the podium at World Indoors
Photo by: Daniel.tnfAfter sharing the lead for a majority of the race, Gabriela DeBues-Stafford finished shy of the podium in a final lap sprint to end the women’s 3,000m.
What a race! ??⚡️
Canada's Gabriela DeBues-Stafford just misses out on the women's 3000m podium at the World Athletics indoor championships with a 4th place finish
Fellow Canadian Julie-Anne Staehli finishes in 18th pic.twitter.com/SCZbE6mqel
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) March 18, 2022
DeBues-Stafford made her move with around 500m to go to get herself in a position for a final lap sprint. When it came down to the final 100m, she was unable to get around Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye and Elle Purrier St. Pierre of the U.S. to secure a spot on the podium, finishing fourth in 8:42.89. Lemlem Hailu of Ethiopia won the race in 8:41.82, with Purrier St. Pierre taking home the silver and bronze to the pre-race favourite, Taye (8:42.23).
The race was congested, with 20 runners on a 200m track. It started at a rather pedestrian pace until about one mile in, when the Ethiopian duo began to pick up the pace from the front. DeBues-Stafford held her own and positioned herself to medal in the final few laps.
DeBues-Stafford was sixth in the 1,500m at the 2019 World Championship in Doha and was fifth at the Tokyo Olympics.
DeBues-Stafford has had a breakout season on the indoor track, setting multiple Canadian indoor records over 3,000 and 5,000m. Her 5,000m record, set in Boston earlier this year, set a North American 5,000m record (14:31.38).
Lucknow, Ont. native Julie-Anne Staehli was with the main pack of 20 through 1,600m but ended up finishing 18th in 8:58.73.