Four event highlights that you’ll want to know about from the Speed River Inferno
The Speed River Inferno, the fourth National Track League event, took place on Saturday in Guelph, Ont. as athletes prepare for nationals.
The Speed River Inferno, the fourth stop on the National Track League, a circuit of high-performance track and field competitions, took place in Guelph, Ont. on Saturday. Among the events was the 10,000m, which served as the Canadian 10,000m championships.
Following National Track League stops in Vancouver, Victoria and Halifax, the Guelph meet was one of the last races before the country’s Olympic qualifying trials July 7-10 where the Rio team will be decided. Here are four notable events from the night that was.
Women’s 1,500m
Canada now has seven women that have run faster than 4:10 for the 1,500m this year with the latest two performances coming from Pan Am Games medallist Sasha Gollish and rising star and Canadian university medallist Regan Yee. Gollish ran 4:09.68 and Yee ran 4:09.88 to finish second and third, respectively.
RELATED: Unknown Canadian crushes PB by 27 seconds, lands herself in mix for Olympic squad.
Five women have the Canadian Olympic standard in the 1,500m (4:07.00) for Rio but only three will ultimately make the team, which will be decided at the national track and field championships in Edmonton July 7-10.
Men’s 3,000m steeplechase
Local runner Taylor Milne set a new meet record in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase and appears to be in fine form ahead of next month’s Olympic Trials. He already had the Rio qualifying standard and is one of four men who have the 8:30-mark.
When you exercise those last water barrier demons and break a meet/stadium record…???? pic.twitter.com/617bkKseH9
— Athletics Canada (@AthleticsCanada) June 26, 2016
Women’s 800m
Two of Canada’s 1,500m women who have the Olympic standard stepped down in distance by running the 800m on Saturday. Nicole Sifuentes ran 2:02.36 and Gabriela Stafford, a student at the University of Toronto, ran 2:03.38 as they work on their closing speed in hopes of making it to Rio.
RELATED: What’s next for 19-year-old Justyn Knight after his best-ever 5,000m?
Canadian 10,000m championships
The national 10,000m championships were held as part of the Speed River Inferno competition on Saturday evening. Eric Gillis, who earlier in the day won the Waterfront 10K, went two-for-two by winning the Canadian championships in 29-flat.
See how Gillis managed to pull off the double.
RELATED: VIDEO: Must-see finish at the Ottawa 10K as women’s winner collapses.
Rachel Hannah battled with Natasha Wodak, the Canadian 10,000m record holder, and prevailed in 33:05.49 to Wodak’s 33:29.67. Wodak hit the Olympic qualifying standard in the event by setting the national record in 2015.
.@RachelHannahRD is your 2016 ?? 10,000m champion. Filling out the podium are @tasha_wodak 2nd and @melmyrand 3rd.
— Athletics Canada (@AthleticsCanada) June 26, 2016
.@EricGillis42_2k is your 2016 ?? 10,000m champion. Kevin Tree 2nd & Kevin Friesen 3rd.
— Athletics Canada (@AthleticsCanada) June 26, 2016
Rachel Hannah (@RachelHannahRD) is the Canadian 10,000m champ! In 33:05 #speedriverinferno pic.twitter.com/T528L4Kp4N
— CanadianRunning (@CanadianRunning) June 26, 2016
Full results can be found here.
Photos from the event
