Canadian hurdler Sage Watson posts season-best time at Müller Anniversary Games – CBC Sports

Sage Watson of Medicine Hat, Alta., continues to lower her time in the women’s 400-metre hurdles, posting another season-best Sunday at the Müller Anniversary Games at London Stadium.

The 25-year-old crossed the line in 55.32 seconds, placing seventh among eight finishers but meeting the 55.40 qualifying standard for next summer’s Olympics in Tokyo. Her previous best in 2019 was a 55.71 performance at the Golden Gala in Rome on June 6.

WATCH | Hurdler Sage Watson posts season-best time:

Canada’s Sage Watson finished with a season best time of 55.32 to finish seventh in the women’s 400m hurdle race in London, England. 3:26

Watson also shaved nearly one second off her 56.21 clocking from last year’s race in London.

The second-year professional runner achieved the 56.00 qualifying standard for the world championships in September in her season-opening outdoor door race on June 3, stopping the clock in 55.76 for her lone podium finish of 2019 across four races.

Big strides

Watson, who reached the podium eight times in 11 races last year, is training for worlds with her college coach Fred Harvey at the University of Arizona and volunteering as an assistant coach.

The 2017 NCAA champion with a personal-best time of 54.52 — just 13-100ths of a second off Rosey Edeh’s Canadian record has come a long way from the days of growing up on a ranch in a community where the sport was not something many people pursued.

Watson made her way through the ranks from provincials to nationals to competing at world youth and world junior championships, all the way to the 2016 Olympic Games (11th) and 2018 Commonwealth Games (fifth).

Jamaica’s Rushell Clayton set a personal-best with her winning time of 54.16, 17-100ths faster than Zuzana Hejnova of the Czech Republic (54.33) and Tia-Adana Belle of Barbados (54.54).

Seccafien, O’Connell well back in 5,000m

Canadian distance runners Andrea Seccafien and Jessica O’Connell placed 16th and 19th, respectively in the women’s 5,000 that featured 11 personal bests and four season bests among the 20 finishers.

Seccafien of Guelph, Ont., moved as high as 15th and crossed the line in 15 minutes 12.93 seconds, or more than 1.5 seconds off her 15:11.24 season-best.

O’Connell, who broke Megan Metcalfe-Wright’s indoor 3,000 record (8:46.50) in February, clocked 15:28.80 in London, more than 18 seconds off her 15:10.64 SB.

The 30-year-old won the women’s outdoor 1,500 last June at the Harry Jerome Track Classic in Burnaby, B.C., and was second in the 5,000 at the Canadian championships in Ottawa.

Nettey jumps season-low 6.33m

Christabel Nettey’s season continues to head in the wrong direction as the native of Surrey, B.C., went a season-low 6.33 metres to finish eighth and last in women’s long jump.

Canada’s Christabel Nettey had a tough day at London Stadium, posting a season-low 6.33 metres in women’s long jump for an eighth-place finish at the Muller Anniversary Games on Sunday. (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

After jumping 6.73 on June 15 in Chula Vista, Calif., the 28-year-old went 6.54, 6.56, 6.52 and 6.48 at her next four meets.

In 2018, Nettey won seven of 11 outdoor events, including a gold medal (6.84) at the Commonwealth Games in Australia last April.

Malaika Mihambo of Germany won Sunday’s competition with a meet-record 7.02. Brittney Reese of the United States followed at 6.82 and Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk of the Ukraine rounded out the podium at 6.78.

Diamond League on CBC Sports

CBC Sports is providing live streaming coverage of all 14 Diamond League meets this season at CBCSports.ca and via the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices. TV coverage will be featured as part of the network’s Road To The Olympic Games weekend broadcasts throughout the season.

The following is a list of upcoming Diamond League meets, all times ET:

Birmingham, England (Aug. 18, 9–11 a.m.)
Paris (Aug. 24, 2–4 p.m.)
Zurich (Aug. 29, 2–4 p.m.)
Brussels (Sept. 7, 2–4 p.m.)