Butterworth elevates to No. 5 all-time Canadian competitor in 800 with 1:59.19 effort; Gay runs 8:20.68 to produce fastest men’s 3,000 steeplechase at national finals in 35 years, with Gleadle winning 10th javelin title, Ehrhardt securing ninth triple jump crown and Emmanuel achieving eighth 100 championship

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Melissa Bishop-Nriagu had already secured her trip to the Olympics in the 800 meters, but now the Canadian record holder will have some company in Tokyo, thanks to the fastest performance in the history of the country’s championship meet by one of her competitors Friday at Claude-Robillard Sports Complex in Montreal, Quebec.

Lindsey Butterworth became the seventh Canadian female athlete to run under 2 minutes, clocking 1:59.19 to prevail against Bishop-Nriagu (1:59.50) on the opening night of the Olympic and Paralympic Trials.

Butterworth elevated to the No. 5 all-time Canadian competitor, lowering her personal best by more than a second to achieve the Olympic standard and eclipse the championship meet record of 1:59.32 achieved by Bishop-Nriagu at the 2016 Trials.

It marked the second 800 national title for Butterworth, the other coming in 2018, when Bishop-Nriagu was taking time off to give birth to her first child.

John Gay also secured the Olympic standard in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase final by running 8:20.68 to break the championship record of 8:25.82 held since 1986 by Graeme Fell.

It was the first national title for Gay, who joins Matthew Hughes in earning the Olympic standard in the steeplechase. Gay remains the No. 8 all-time Canadian competitor, but improved his personal best by nearly three seconds.

Regan Yee nearly achieved the Olympic standard in the women’s 3,000 steeplechase final, but still secured her first national championship by clocking 9:31.46, more than three seconds faster than the meet record of 9:34.85 produced in 2019 by Genevieve Lalonde.

Yee prevailed against Alycia Butterworth (9:32.40) and Lalonde (9:32.68), who already had the Olympic standard. Yee has run 9:31.07 on June 12 at the Harry Jerome Classic, but finds herself just outside the top 45 in the World Rankings, which is the cutoff for Olympic consideration, with the standard at 9:30.00.

For the first time in four meets this year, Elizabeth Gleadle wasn’t able to surpass the 60-meter mark in the javelin, but she did win her 10th national championship with a third-round performance of 196-2 (59.81m).

Despite not having the Olympic standard, Gleadle is in the top 20 in the World Rankings and is expected to be selected to compete in Tokyo.

Caroline Ehrhardt captured her fifth consecutive triple jump national title and ninth overall with a third-round effort of 42-7 (12.98m).

Crystal Emmanuel held off Khamica Bingham by an 11.18 to 11.24 margin in the women’s 100-meter dash final to secure her eighth national championship in the event.

Noelle Montcalm ran her fastest time in the 400-meter hurdles since 2018, clocking 56.34 to capture her fifth national title.

Philip Osei ran 46.60 in the men’s 400 final to secure a fifth national crown.

Alicia Brown earned her first national championship in the 400 since 2013, achieving her fastest time in the 400 since the 2016 Trials by clocking 51.96. Brown finished second five years ago to Carline Muir by a 51.79 to 51.84 margin.

Aaron Brown won his fourth national title in the men’s 100-meter dash by running 10.12, with Jerome Blake finishing second in 10.27.

Damian Warner, the national record holder in the long jump, earned his first championship in the event since 2017 with a 25-7.50 (7.81m) effort on his first attempt. Warner produced a leap of 27-2 (8.28m) on May 29 at the Hypo Meeting in Gotzis, Austria, on his way to a world-leading 8,995 points in the decathlon.

Sarah Mitton, already with the Olympic standard in the shot put, prevailed with a 59-9 (18.21m) effort in the fourth round to secure her first national crown.

Mark Bujnowski, the 2019 national champion in the discus throw, added a shot put victory with a mark of 56-11.25 (17.35m) in the third round.

Robert Heppenstall won the men’s 800 in 1:46.79.

In Paralympic competition, Amanda Rummery lowered her own T46 national record in the 400 meters to 1:01.68.

Thomas Normandeau won the men’s 400 in the T47 classification in 51.25, with Zachary Gingas achieving victory in the T38 classification in 53.78.

Marissa Papaconstantinou produced the top mark in the women’s 100-meter dash in the T64 classification in 13.48.

Austin Ingram triumphed in the 100 in the men’s T13 classification in 11.54.

Charlotte Bolton achieved a mark of 28-9.25 (8.41m) in the fourth round of the women’s shot put in the F41 classification.