It was a record-setting afternoon at Sunday’s Paris Diamond League, with Quebec’s Charles Philibert-Thiboutot setting a new Canadian national record in the men’s 3,000m. Philibert-Thiboutot placed fourth with a time of 7:35.73, lowering his personal best by almost six seconds.
Philibert-Thiboutot positioned himself at the front of the pack early on and was rewarded with a fast time, bettering the previous national mark of 7:36.46 held by Vancouver’s Kieran Lumb.
Last weekend at the Bell Canadian Olympic Track and Field Trials in Montreal, Philibert-Thiboutot finished second to Lumb in the 1,500m. He got some redemption today in Paris, breaking Lumb’s national record by nearly a second. Both men were named to the Canadian Olympic track and field team for Paris 2024, where they will compete in the men’s 1,500m.
Fast #ParisDL 3K race won by 🇰🇪Jacob Krop pic.twitter.com/O1O0yZ99Hf
— Travis Miller (@travismillerx13) July 7, 2024
This is the second national record of Philibert-Thiboutot’s career. Last year, he set a North American record of 4:51.54 in the 2,000m at the Brussels Diamond League.
It was an exciting day for Philibert-Thiboutot’s long-time coach, Félix Antoine-Lapointe, who saw three of his athletes at the Paris Diamond League achieve personal bests, led by Philibert-Thiboutot’s national record. Thomas Fafard, recently named to his first Canadian Olympic team, also ran a new 3,000m personal best of 7:38.07 to place sixth behind his teammate and training partner. Fafard will be one of three athletes competing for Canada in the men’s 5,000m at the Paris Olympics.
In the men’s 3,000m steeplechase, Jean-Simon Desgagnés set a personal best of 8:13.11, placing ninth in a competitive field. His time is the third-fastest in history by a Canadian steeplechaser. Desgagnés reached the final at last year’s World Championships in Budapest, where he placed eighth.
For full results from the 2024 Paris Diamond League, check here.
