|
August 4th 2006, OTTAWA - Reid Coolsaet of Guelph, Ont., successfully defended his national title in the men’s 5,000-metres Friday in a photo finish victory to conclude the first day of competition at the Canadian track and field championships.
Coolsaet clocked 13 minutes and 49.932 seconds while Paul Morrison of Sherbrooke, Que., chased Coolsaet down on the final stretch and clocked 13:49.936. Jerry Ziak of Abbotsford, B.C., was third in 13:56.12.
“I knew I was going to have to dig down to hold Paul off,” said Coolsaet, looking to bounce back from a self-described disappointing season so far. “I felt pretty good but I’m not as strong as I’d like to be at this time of year. But I feel I’m on the right track.”
Morrison, 25, surprised himself with his performance. He was out with a knee injury this winter and even considered quitting the sport.
“With 200 metres to go I told myself this could be my last chance to do it,” said Morrison, a runner-up at the last three nationals. “It was pure pain. I came in here not knowing what my fitness level was at, but I was pleased I gave it another shot.”
In the women’s 5,000, Megan Metcalfe of Edmonton also kept her Canadian title taking the lead at the start of the last lap to finish in 16:03.15. Andrea Grove of Winnipeg was second in 16:04.66 and Tara Quinn-Smith of Waterdown, Ont., third in 16:10.66.
“I don’t usually make my move that early in the last lap,” said Metcalfe. “I usually wait until the near the end. But I was feeling really comfortable at that point. It was a really strong field and Andrea and I have been going back and forth all year.”
In the highly anticipated women’s 100 hurdles, 2003 world champion Perdita Felicien of Pickering, Ont., posted the fastest time of the two semifinal heats clocking 12.71 seconds. Angela Whyte of Edmonton, an Olympic finalist in 2004, was right behind Felicien in 12.77.
“It was great to come in here, not be in pain and run a nice crisp race,” said Felicien, who took several weeks off this season to mend a pulled hamstring. “To face such a strong field is a great incentive to run fast. I’m not at the point yet where I can race at every single event but I feel fine, I feel healthy. My goal right now is to build for next year.”
In the other semifinal heat, Priscilla Lopes of Whitby, Ont., the number-one seed, was the fastest in 12.84.
Other top qualifiers in men’s competition were, world championship bronze medallist Tyler Christopher of Edmonton in the 400 semifinal clocking 46.68; Pierre Browne of Mississauga in the men`s 100 semifinal at 10.23; Karl Jennings of Toronto in the 110 hurdles semifinals; James Steacy of Lethbridge, Alta., in the hammer throw at 74.99 metres; Andrew Judge of London, Ont., in the long jump while eight competitors tied for first in pole vault qualifying.
Other top qualifiers in women’s competition were the Erica Broomfield of Mississauga in the 100 in 11.56; Canadian record holder Dana Ellis of Kitchener, Ont., in pole vault; and Carline Muir of Etobicoke, Ont., in the 400 semis.
Saturday is the busiest day of the competition with 18 finals starting at 3 p.m. at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility.
source Athletics Canada
|
