Regan Yee races to Canadian record, Tokyo standard in women’s 3,000 steeplechase

MONTREAL — Regan Yee raced to a Canadian record and hit the Tokyo qualifying standard in the women’s 3,000-metre steeplechase on Tuesday, the final day of Olympic qualifying.

The 25-year-old from Hazelton, B.C., ran nine minutes 27.54 seconds, breaking Genevieve Lalonde’s national mark of 9:29.82. The Tokyo qualifying standard was 9:30. 

Yee had won the Olympic trials on Friday in 9:31.46.

Tuesday’s La Classique meet was a final chance for Canadian track and field athletes to hit automatic standards or earn points toward world ranking, which is a second way of qualifying for Tokyo.

Athletics Canada is expected to name its team on Saturday.

Charles Philibert-Thiboutot, a 2016 Olympian from Quebec City who’s been flirting with the qualifying standard in the 1,500 metres all season, missed the Tokyo mark of 3:35, running 3:37.11. Meet organizers had pushed back races a couple of hours Tuesday night for optimal weather conditions after the Olympic trials last weekend were plagued by rain and gusting winds.

Three athletes hit the qualifying marks at the trials: Lindsey Butterworth in the women’s 800, John Gay in the men’s 3,000 steeplechase, and Django Lovett in the men’s high jump.   

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 29, 2021. 

The Canadian Press