For an exceptional athlete, the organizers of the Brussels stage of the Diamond League in athletics had planned an exceptional race for Friday: a 2000 m where the Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen stopped the clock at 4 min 43.13 s, dethroning the Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj (4 min 44.79 s), holder of the world brand for 24 years.
In the end, there were seven runners, including Charles Philibert-Thiboutot, eighth in 4 min 51.54 s, to achieve a new national mark.
“It was announced in the middle of the summer that Jakob wanted to tackle the 2000m world record and that’s why they replaced the planned 1500m with a 2000m,” explained Philibert-Thiboutot. At the same time, he set an American record at this distance, which is rarely on the program of athletics meetings.
“I knew Jakob would be going at a crazy pace forward and that’s not where I would be. On the other hand, all the guys behind were from the 1500m final at the worlds, where I was supposed to fight and run with them,” continued the 32-year-old runner.
“I did a good job to be in the mix and finished the race less than a second behind the Norwegian (Narve Gilje Nordas) who finished fourth at the worlds and not far from the guys who all ran 3 mins 29 s (at 1500 m) this summer. […] It’s a great performance and I’m happy, because I felt that I was competitive! »
A reaction the opposite of what he had experienced after his previous race, the semi-final of the World Championships in Budapest, where he had played his cards badly and missed his qualification for the final, his big goal of the season.
“Tonight I’m pretty happy with the result. I feel like I’m getting closer to the famous finale that has eluded me in recent years. »
Led by three hares, in addition to lights at the edge of the track which lit up at the world record pace, Ingebrigtsen found himself alone in the lead with a lap and a half to go while maintaining a speed of around 25 km/h. His advance of a few meters on the reference lighting in the last curve made the crowd react and the runner added a final layer to beat the mark of El Guerrouj, who still holds the world record in the 1500m.
Charles Philibert-Thiboutot will not stay in Belgium forever. Starting Saturday, he’ll be on a plane to New York to take part in the Fifth Avenue Mile the next day.
“We’re going to see what legs I have left after the big performance tonight (Friday) and the trip. I’m really looking forward to it and I think I can get a good result,” concluded the athlete from Quebec.