With a season’s best time of 3:33.53, Charles Philibert-Thiboutot snagged a spot in the men’s 1,500m semi-final at the Paris Olympics on Saturday. He was sent to the repechage round after finishing 14th in the fastest heat of the first round of the event on Friday, giving him a second chance to move on in the competition. Philibert-Thiboutot successfully battled to be one of the top three men in the heat to qualify for the semis on Sunday, securing second place.
“After the race I had yesterday, I did have some doubts, and I had to overcome them today,” he told Canadian Running post-race. “Crossing the line, I was happy that I executed that perfectly and stuck to my plan. I didn’t psych myself out after yesterday, I kept my nose in it, and that’s why I’m so proud.”
This is Philibert-Thiboutot’s second Olympic Games; after making the semi-final in Rio 2016, he narrowly missed qualifying for the Tokyo Games in 2021, finding himself just two spots out of the world ranking quota. “Races at this level, chance does play a big role in who goes through and who doesn’t,” he says. “In races like that, where things string out, that’s where I race my best and where I strive. I can concentrate on my form and running well.”
Although his second-place finish in the round allows him to continue living out his Olympic dream, the Quebec native is happy, but not satisfied. “I’ve made every semi-final in my career at every major championship,” the Quebec native said post-race. “It’s not quite the dream come true just yet, but it’s a lot of pressure off my shoulders.” The 33-year-old has also represented Canada and ran in the semi-finals at the World Championships in 2015, 2022 and 2023–this time, he has the goal to move into the final round.
“Tomorrow is another race, and so tomorrow I’ll restart,” the 1,500m specialist says. With a good night’s sleep, Philibert-Thiboutot will aim to recover quickly to bounce back for another fast race. The men who made it forward directly from the first round (securing a top six finish in their heat) will have the advantage of having one less race in their system heading into the semis. Despite the disadvantage, the Canadian is still ready to bring the heat. “Maybe tomorrow I’ll set a PB, who knows?” he said.
Philibert-Thiboutot’s teammate, Kieran Lumb, was also sent to the repechage round, competing in heat one. He took fifth in 3:35.76, and was unable to secure a qualifying spot.
The semi-final round begins on Sunday, Aug. 4 at 3:10 p.m. ET.
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Athletics events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are taking place from Aug. 1-11. Today’s coverage is brought to you by Canadian Running and New Balance Canada. Follow us on Twitter on Instagram for all things Team Canada and up-to-date exclusive news and content.
