By Gary Kingston/Special to the 91原创 Advance Times
It鈥檚 a long way from tiny South Hazelton, B.C. to glittering Doha, Qatar, but steeplechaser Regan Yee has given herself a chance to get there for the IAAF world championships in late September by running under the qualifying standard in her event.
Yee, a 24 ex-TWU runner, who missed the 9:40.00 standard for the 3,000 metre steeplechase by the blink of an eye at the Harry Jerome International Track Classic at Burnaby鈥檚 Swangard Stadium three weeks ago 鈥� she ran 9:40.06 鈥� went 9:35.49 in winning a Sunshine Tour race at Azusa, Calif., on Tuesday.
鈥淚 was just so relieved, it was a weight off the shoulders to have the standard now,鈥� said Yee, a Trinity Western University grad whose personal best time at Azusa made her the third fastest Canadian woman ever at the distance.
鈥淏ut there鈥檚 so much work still to be done. Nationals is going to be very competitive, but at least I can check (making the standard) off the list.鈥�
RECENT COVERAGE: 91原创鈥檚 Yee sets record at Harry Jerome track meet
The race was a last chance of sorts to make the qualifying standard.
鈥淚t was really the only opportunity in North America,鈥� said Yee. It鈥檚 super hard to find a competitive steeplechase. We were supposed to have a pacer and then that fell through, but the race attracted a big group of girls wanting to run the world standard.鈥�
Yee now needs to finish top three at the national championships in Montreal later this month to be considered for selection to the Canadian team to worlds.
鈥淲ith a few of us having made standard now, it would be crazy not to take three of us (to Qatar),鈥� said Yee.
The field in Montreal will include 2016 Olympians Genevieve Lalonde, who ran a Canadian record 9:29.82 at Shanghai in May, and UBC grad Maria Bernard-Galea, who ran a personal best 9:36.12 at Azusa on Tuesday to finish a close second to Yee.
That could make it a tactical race at Montreal, with those three just trying to assure themselves of a podium finish.
鈥淏ut there are a bunch of girls just on the cusp of getting standard, so I would imagine they would want to make it a faster race,鈥� said Yee.
That group includes Yee鈥檚 91原创 Mustangs Track Club teammate Alycia Butterworth, who was fifth at Azusa in 9:40.71 and Ottawa鈥檚 Charlotte Prouse, who ran 9:42.01 at the Jerome.
Yee and Bernard are now the 26th and 27th fastest women in the world this season in the 3,000 steeplechase, although they are well back of Kenyan Beatrice Chepkoech鈥檚 world-leading time of 8:55.58. Chepkoech is the only woman to break the magical nine-minute mark this year.
鈥淎t this point, that seems like it鈥檚 very far out of reach, but you never know,鈥� says Yee. 鈥淛ust keep chipping away and training hard. For me, (9:00.00) would seem impossible, but people are doing it.鈥�
Yee said her goal if she goes to worlds would be a finish in the top half of the field. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to be too ambitious. If I do make it, it would be my first ever major Games. I鈥檇 be satisfied with a top half finish.鈥�
Yee needs to go under 9:30.00 some time in the next 10 months to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but after lowering her PB to 9:35.49, she鈥檚 convinced that鈥檚 within reach.
鈥淥h yeah, I know it鈥檚 there.鈥�
READ MORE: 91原创 runner nominated for B.C. university athlete of the year
