Canada's Robert Joseph Heppenstall, centre, embraces teammate Charles Philibert-Thiboutot during the men's 1500m final at the Pan American Games, in Santiago, Chile, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
SANTIAGO – Charles Philibert-Thiboutot won Canada’s first track and field gold medal of the Pan American Games on Thursday with his victory in the men’s 1,500 metres.
And his effort was shortly followed up with another gold from Sarah Mitton in the women’s shot put.
The 32-year-old Philibert-Thiboutot from Quebec City strained at the finish line and fell crossing it to edge his Canadian teammate Robert Heppenstall.
Philibert-Thiboutot’s time was three minutes 39.74 just two hundredths of a second faster than Hamilton’s Heppenstall. Casey Comber of the United States took bronze.
It was Philibert-Thiboutot’s second medal in Santiago after a silver in the men’s 5,000. He crossed the line third in that race, but was upgraded when Mexico’s Fernando Martinez, who crossed the line first, was disqualified for obstruction and jostling.
Mitton of Brooklyn, N.S., had a top throw of 19.19 metres. The 27-year-old won silver earlier this year at the World Athletics Championships.
Rosa Ramirez of the Dominican Republic was second (17.99) and Adelaide Aquilla of the U.S. placed third (17.73).
Mitton’s gold medal was Canada’s 37th in Santiago, Chile. Canada won 35 at the 2019 Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 2, 2023.
