Officials uphold Quebec runner’s dramatic win at Canada Summer Games
A finish-line collision between two of Canada’s top young middle-distance runners in the men’s 1,500m sparked fireworks at the Canada Summer Games
John Liu (@johnwithlenses)
Every four years, the Canada Summer Games (CSG) showcase some of the nation’s best emerging talent. And when provincial pride is on the line, the competition can get heated.
That was the case in the men’s 1,500m final. Saskatchewan’s Jonathan Podbielski was poised to win gold for the Prairie province when a late bump with Quebec’s Robin Lefebvre changed the outcome. Lefebvre surged along the inside in the final 100 metres, trying to squeeze into a narrow gap. The two runners tangled, with Lefebvre falling but managing to cross the line first to claim gold for Team Quebec. Podbielski, thrown off balance, was left stunned at the finish for silver.
“I felt I had the inside lane and he tried to overtake me in a gap that just wasn’t there,” Podbielski told Canadian Running. “When he came up beside me, there was a lot of contact, and it caused me to trip up and lose my momentum.”
Team Saskatchewan immediately reviewed the footage and filed an official protest. But after a thorough review, CSG officials ruled that the incident did not constitute a clear violation of World Athletics Rule 17.3, which states: “impeding, jostling, or obstructing another runner in a way that affects their performance is grounds for disqualification.”
Lefebvre defended his decision to make the move inside, believing there was space available. “I made a last-second decision to take the inside instead of the outside, and as soon as I made the move, he started to close the gap—which is why I ended up falling,” Lefebvre recalled.
The finish line collision involved two of Canada’s fastest young middle-distance runners. Lefebvre won the Canadian U20 1,500m title earlier this summer in Ottawa, while Podbielski completed a rare U20 double in 2023, winning both the 800m and 1,500m.
Despite the drama, the two athletes share mutual respect: “Although I would have liked to see what the outcome would have been in a contactless race, Robin is a hell of a competitor and I respect his fierce running style,” said Podbielski. “Congrats to him!”
Both men went on to add more hardware at the Games in St. John’s, N.L. Podbielski won gold in his 5,000m debut, while Lefebvre took the silver for Team Quebec in the 800m.
For full results from athletics at the 2025 Canada Summer Games, see here.
