The Oregon Overview is a daily publication that focuses on Team Canada’s pursuits at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon. The overview contains previews, recaps and observations, and will be published every day between July 15 and 24 on our website athletics.ca, and via our social channels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

You can also read our official Team Announcement here, our full preview here, find Team Canada’s schedule here, and the overall World Championships schedule and results here. And do you want to watch it live? Catch the entire championships for FREE on CBC.

A veteran athlete and a rising star qualified for upcoming rounds during Wednesday’s lone session. Eleven-time national champion Liz Gleadle launched the javelin over 60 metres to earn her spot in the final, while 23-year-old Marco Arop commandingly won his 800m heat to secure his place in Thursday’s semi. Now, for the bad news: Canada’s 800m record holder Brandon McBride, who fell 200 metres into the race after jostling with competitors, still waits to learn whether or not Athletics Canada’s protest of the race will be successful, and if he will get to join Arop in the next round. Below are Wednesday’s top stories.

GLEADLE QUALIFIES FOR HER THIRD-EVER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

Eleven-time Canadian javelin champion and four-time World Championships participant Liz Gleadle entered this year’s competition with great momentum: she has thrown over 60 metres in each of her last five contests.

She extended that streak by one in the javelin qualifying round, throwing for 60.38 metres, good enough for third in her section.

“I’m pretty happy with 60.38,” she said after the competition. “The next steps is to give my parents a hug, going to go talk to my coach and make some technical adjustments, rest and hydrate, and watch the men’s qualifying to get inspired and get excited.”

Gleadle took part in the World Championship finals in 2015 and 2017, in which she finished 11^th and 12^th respectively. This year, she ranks seventh going into the final.
 

AROP MOVES ON TO 800M SEMIS, MCBRIDE WAITS TO LEARN HIS FATE

Heat three of six in the 800m qualifying round had no shortage of drama. Canadian Brandon McBride found himself where no half-miler ever wants to be: lying on the track with 600 metres left to run. The Canadian 800m record holder fell to the ground when jostling for positions with American Bryce Hoppel, Jamaican Navasky Anderson and others barely 200 metres into the race.

“It all happened so fast- a lot of pushing and a lot of shoving. It can easily throw the rhythm off, and the 800m is a race of rhythm,” said McBride after his heat.

“I was in shock – the first thing that went through my mind was ‘finish the race’ in case there would be a protest and I could get pushed into the next round. I don’t know what the process of that would look like, but that’s what I’m hoping.”

The two-time Olympian crossed the line in 1:57.43.

“It’s just unfortunate because I’d really like to showcase my fitness – let’s just hope I get an opportunity to do that.”

Athletics Canada has appealed Brandon McBride’s race and are awaiting a decision.

Barely ten minutes after McBride’s race, Marco Arop secured a Canadian presence in the semi finals by winning heat five in a time of 1:44.76.

Arop, who ranks third in the world this year, tucked in behind the leaders for the first lap, and eventually swung wide for most of the second lap to break free and take the lead. He led the group of eight runners through the home stretch and held on for the win. He said he did not regret running almost the entire second half of the race in lane two.

“I saw Brandon in the third heat, and I was just trying to avoid that at all cost – even if I had to run the extra distance, it was worth it.”

Arop said that, despite sustaining a small injury since racing to a season’s best of 1:43.61 in Edmonton, he feels ready to deliver more world classes performances in upcoming rounds.

“I have a great team behind me,” he told CBC after his race. “The only thing that’s left is tactics and using my mind to bring the full potential to my races.”
 

STORYLINES TO FOLLOW ON JULY 21

Aaron Brown chases Canada’s second medal in the 200m final at 7:50 p.m. (PST)

Marco Arop races the men’s 800m semi, while Maddy Kelly, Addy Townsend and Lindsey Butterworth compete in the women’s 800m heats.

Charles Philibert-Thiboutot and Moh Ahmed come back to the track to race in the men’s 5,000m heats at 6:10 p.m. (PST)
 

MEDIA INQUIRIES:

Please contact:

Caroline Sharp

Oregon Cell: 214-601-8024

WhatsApp: 613-323-5605

Email: caroline.sharp@athletics.ca