PHOTO COURTESY Sean Burges / Mundo Sport Images - Sage Watson runs to gold at the Canadian Track and Field Championships in Ottawa Sunday.
Medicine Hat News
Seven Persons’ Sage Watson is a Canadian champion.
Watson cemented her position as the best women’s 400 metre hurdles runner in the country Sunday, claiming the title at the Canadian Track and Field Championships in Ottawa with a meet-record 54.97-second time.
Noelle Montcalm was second in 56.15 seconds. Both earned spots at the world championships next month in London, England.
“It feels amazing to come here and run a great race, run against a competitive field of women,” Watson told an assembled group of reporters following her race. “It shows I’m getting a step towards the Canadian record, which is my ultimate goal.”
While she didn’t break the Canadian record of 54.39 set some 24 years ago by Rosey Edeh at the Atlanta Olympics, Watson did break Edeh’s meet record of 55.29 set in 1993.
“Yes, if I’m doing what I’m capable of doing,” she said when asked if she could break the record this summer.
After winning an NCAA title in her last race with the University of Arizona, Watson took some time off in order to peak for nationals. She told reporters she’s signed with an agent and is closing in on officially being a professional, and has “a couple meets in Europe” planned prior to the world championships.
After getting to the semifinal heats in the 400 hurdles at last year’s Rio Olympics, then anchoring Canada to a fourth-place finish in the 4×400 metre relay, the Hat High almnus has only got faster — but so has her international competition. Her training partner Georgeanne Moline recently ran a time of 53.14 but only finished fifth in what’s considered one of the fastest 400 hurdles races ever.
Watson confirmed she’ll stay in Arizona to get the best possible training, and remain with University of Arizona coach Fred Harvey.
