Sheila Reid ‘unsatisfied’ with Olympic debut

It didn’t go as she imagined it, but just days after her 23rd birthday Sheila Reid got her first taste of what it means to be an Olympic 5000m runner.

Reid of Newmarket, Ont., finished 15th in her heat in 15:27.41. She won’t advance to the final. Both heats of the 5000m were won around 15:00, and athletes needed to run at least 15:06 to get into the final. Reid’s PB heading into the Olympics was 15:23.64.

She hung at the back of the lead pack for the first 3000m before getting dropped. It was a still a strong run for the former Villanova star but not what she hoped for.

“Lots of mixed emotions after my race,” Reid tweeted a few hours after her run. “So thankful for the opportunity to compete but altogether unsatisfied with my performance. I know in my heart I will be running down a medal in Rio. But, for now, I am truly humbled to have competed with the best in the world.”

Reid was a last-minute addition to Team Canada, selected as a “Rising Star” only after an appeal to Athletics Canada.

Meanwhile, two Canadians advanced to the semifinals of the men’s 200m. Jared Connaughton of Charlottetown, P.E.I., and Aaron Brown of Toronto both moved on after placing in the top 3 of their heats. Jamaica’s Usain Bolt also advanced easily.

Later on Tuesday, Canada’s three women’s hurdlers aim for a place on the podium in the 100m hurdles. The semifinals of the men’s 800m, featuring Halifax’s Geoff Harris and world-record holder David Rudisha of Kenya.