By Canadian Press

Canadian hurdler Sage Watson sets national record at worlds

Oct 4, 2019 | 10:31 AM

DOHA, Qatar — Sage Watson set a Canadian record en route to qualifying for the women’s 400-metre hurdles final on Wednesday at the world track and field championships.

The 25-year-old native of Medicine Hat, Alta., was fourth overall in the semifinals with a time of 54.32 seconds.

Watson wiped out a 23-year-old Canadian record set at the 1996 Olympics by Rosey Edeh (54.39).

“I’ve been going for that record a few years now and to finally get it and to get it in a special place just feels really great,” said Watson. “I knew if I ran my race and stayed with (world-record holder Dalilah Muhammad of the U.S.) I would qualify for the final.”

American Sydney McLaughlin had the fastest qualifying time, finishing in 53.81 seconds. Muhammad was next at 53.91.

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Watson finished sixth in this event at the last worlds in 2017.

Meanwhile, Canada’s Damian Warner and Pierce LePage sit first and second in the decathlon at the halfway point.

Warner, the 2016 Olympic bronze medallist from London, Ont., has 4,513 points, while LePage, from Whitby, Ont., is next at 4,486.

World-record holder Kevin Mayer of France is close behind with 4,483.

“It feels good to be in the lead, but I was hoping for a better score,” said Warner, who won silver at the 2015 worlds and bronze in 2013. “Some of the events didn’t go as planned but I’m still in the battle, I have high expectations of myself and I’m still in the hunt.”

LePage is in his first worlds.

“For my first world championships, it’s definitely an experience,” he said. “Everything was going (well), but then a fault in the shot put. To finish it off with a personal best in the 400 metres is great.”

Elsewhere, Toronto’s Brittany Crew qualified for the final in the women’s shot put.

Crew threw 18.30 metres to finish 11th and qualify for the 12-athlete final.

Crew, 25, finished sixth at the last world championships in 2017.

Crew won silver at the Pan American Games in August in Lima, Peru with a throw of 19.07 metres. She broke her own national record with a throw of 19.28 metres last month in Berlin.

“All these girls are popping out personal-bests today. I couldn’t hit one today, it was rough but hopefully I’ll be ready for tomorrow,” said Crew.

“Going through qualifying is the most stressful thing for all of us and it’s a relief when you make it in.”

Andrea Seccafien of Guelph, Ont., advanced to the women’s 5,000-metre final. She was 13th overall in heats with a personal-best time of 15 minutes 4.67 seconds.

“That was by far the best race I’ve ever had on this stage,” said Seccafien. “To run a personal-best and Olympic standard, I’m really proud of that.”

Gabriela DeBues-Stafford of Toronto earned a semifinal spot in the women’s 1,500 metres. She was 11th overall in heats in 4:07.28.

“I felt really good, felt relaxed,” said DeBues-Stafford. “It’s hard in the heats because you want to be ready for anything but you also need to conserve as much energy as possible. Everyone’s human so I’m just happy to get the job done and get through to the next round.”

Canada has four medals (three bronze, one silver) at the world championships after winning none at the last worlds in London in 2017.

The meet runs through Sunday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct, 2, 2019.

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