Hurdler Sage Watson vows to lower her Canadian record in pursuit of Olympic medal

Sage Watson spent the first four months of the COVID-19 pandemic connecting to her roots and enjoying a much-needed mental break at her family ranch in the Alberta hamlet of Seven Persons.

When the 26-year-old hurdler wasn't working out on a gravel road, she reflected on her "finally" moment in the semifinals of the 2019 track and field world championships when Watson broke Rosey Edeh's 23-year Canadian record in the 400-metre event.

"It wasn't a surprise but more like finally I got this record that I've been training so hard for," said Watson, who posted a time of 54.32 seconds in Doha, Qatar, 7-100ths faster than Edeh in the 1996 Olympic final at Atlanta. "This past year, I've been thinking of how low I can get this record. That's my main goal.

"I think, for sure, I'll be able to run 53 seconds. I don't know when that'll be but I'm definitely capable of that. I think 52-high is possible, too. It's a matter of continuing to stay healthy, staying on top of my training and making sure I'm getting in good competitions."

WATCH |Sage Watson breaks 23-year-old Canadian record:

Sage Watson sets national record in 400m hurdles, advances to final

6 years ago

Duration 3:48

Canadian Sage Watson's time of 54.32 sets a Canadian record and books her a spot in 400m hurdles.

Watson, who also aspires to winning a world or Olympic medal, will call it a season after Sunday's Diamond League meet in Stockholm (CBCSports.ca, 10 a.m. ET) and return to training in October for the Tokyo Olympics that were postponed from this summer until next July.

Watson, who is scheduled to race at 9:50 a.m., has trained hard on the track since April and had her first injury-free season in five years, but says it's time to give her body the chance to recover.

"I have more knowledge as a pro athlete what my body's doing and what it can withstand," she said. "I see a physio and massage therapist once a week so I'm paying attention to the smaller details and that's played a huge factor [in remaining healthy]."

Watson, who clocked 56.29 for a third-place finish in her outdoor season debut on Wednesday in Hungary, has a history of foot trouble.

WATCH | Watson 3rd across finish line in Hungary:

Sage Watson finishes 3rd in 400m hurdles

5 years ago

Duration 1:23

The Canadian returned to action at the Continental Tour in Hungary on Wednesday.

In 2014, a stress fracture in her foot forced to take a year off. Watson was also sidelined for a portion of the next season when the injury resurfaced and hampered her again for a brief period in 2016 before she received proper treatment.

Watson, who went to the University of Arizona, recovered for the 2017 campaign that saw her win the women's 400 hurdles at NCAA championships, but

Arop looks to build on recent success

WATCH | Marco Arop sets personal-best time in Monaco:

Brazier wins Diamond League Monaco 800m race, Edmonton's Arop places 3rd

5 years ago

Duration 6:02

American Donavan Brazier won the men's 800 metre race at the Diamond League Monaco event, ahead of compatriot Bryce Hoppel and Edmonton's Marco Arop who ran to a new personal best time of 1:44.14.

Stockholm will also see the launch of the "Final Three," a new long jump competition with the top three jumpers after five rounds going head-to-head in a mini final in the men's and women's events. Should there be a tie, the best performance from the previous five rounds would determine the winner.

"We want to be innovative and try out new concepts.  Given the impact that COVID-19 has had on the [circuit] this summer, this is certainly the right year to experiment a little," said Diamond League CEO Petr Stastny. "This format is likely to award athletes who have the ability to perform under the most intense pressure."