Charles Philibert-Thiboutot was driven by ambivalent feelings after his participation in the Bowerman Mile presented in Eugene, Oregon, as part of the Diamond League, on Saturday.
In the blow until 200 meters from the finish when he was in sixth place, Philibert-Thiboutot finally crossed the finish line in 9th position under a time of 3 min 53.82 s.
“There is a part of me that is happy and another that is not, summarized the runner from the Laval University club. For the first time in the Diamond League, I put my nose in the action instead of staying at the back of the pack and praying for a good result. With 150m to go, I was tied with the guy who finished second. »
“It’s very positive, because I was never able to compete in this way when I took part in stages of the Diamond League in 2015 and 2016, continues the Olympian from the Rio Games (2016) . At the time, I felt outclassed and considered my place to be at the back of the pack. »
Disappointed with his race
Happy to compete, Philibert-Thiboutot was disappointed with his end of the race.
“I jumped the last 150m,” he said. I conceded three seconds to Oliver Hoare who finished second in the last 150m, which is unacceptable. I need to go back to work. »
Thiboutot feels he belonged in the field, which featured Olympic 1500m gold medalist Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who took the win, and silver medalist Timothy Cheruiyot, who finished third. .
“During the warm-up and when we lined up at the start, I felt like I belonged and I had no qualms watching the guys,” he said. I considered myself equal to them. That’s why I was aggressive. It’s a change of mentality. »
Philibert-Thiboutot was hoping for a result that would allow him to receive an invite to further Diamond League stages in Europe.
“My time of 3:53 isn’t bad considering the conditions weren’t easy, but I was aiming for a top five and a time of 3:51,” he said. With that kind of performance, it would have been easier to get an invite. I am waiting for a call, otherwise I will start competitions in Portland and Vancouver in the coming weeks. »
Increase the pace
Félix-Antoine Lapointe’s protege is convinced he can pick up the pace.
“I have several weeks left before the nationals in Langley and the worlds,” he said. From now on, I will do more specific preparation for the 1500m as I focused on endurance. »
Playing under the colors of Canada since 2019 and affiliated with the Laval University club, William Paulson took eighth place by virtue of a time of 3 min 52.42 s, which represents a personal best. Paulson, whose mother was born in Quebec, has also represented Great Britain in the past. He achieved his standard for the worlds in the 1500m in April.
