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By GARY KINGSTON
Humble and self-effacing, Cam Proveciat is a bit sheepish when he references last year’s men’s 1,500 metres at the Vancouver Sun Harry Jerome Track Classic.
“I guess I’m the reigning champion,” he says with a laugh of defeating just four others at a meet where the race fields were diminished by Covid pandemic restrictions.
He did, nevertheless, run a respectable 3:38.61 that night at Burnaby’s Swangard Stadium, which is just up the street from where he lives and where he ran as an elementary and high school student.
This year’s Jerome on June 14 will feature a much stronger and deeper 1,500-metre field and there is much more at stake with a chance to go under the 3:35.00 qualifying standard for the World Athletics Championships in mid-July at Eugene, Ore.
“Yes, for sure (I can qualify),” said Proveciat, who is 28 and in medical school at UBC. “I think there’s a benefit to a really deep field. At the same time it’s not over-filled, but there are a lot of guys who know each other and know what we need to do to run a fast time.”
The lineup, which includes Americans Johnny Gregorek (PB, 3:34.40 and Samuel Prakel (PB, 3:36.43), is led by Quebecer Charles Philibert-Thiboutot, who now trains in Vancouver.
The 31-year-old was a 2016 Olympian (16th in his semifinal) a year after setting a personal best of 3.34.23, but just missed qualifying for the 2020 Games.
He has already qualified for this year’s Worlds off a 3:34.43 run at Azusa, Calif., in July, 2021 and opened this outdoor season with a 3:36.17 at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene in late May.
Philibert-Thiboutot, who lost two weeks of training time in early May of 2021 after a fellow competitor stepped on his Achilles tendon and then couldn’t recover enough to make the Olympic qualifying standard, said it “was one of the most crushing setbacks I’ve ever had in my life.”
Still, even though he missed time with a calf tear this January, he’s come back strong with personal bests in May in the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres.
“Even though I had that setback this winter, I’m building on a base I haven’t had for a long time. I definitely feel like I’m at my best ever. My biggest goal remains to run the 1,500 at Worlds.”
He was second in the 50th anniversary Empire Games Mile at the Jerome in 2014, but hasn’t raced at Swangard since. And he’s excited to run against a bunch of guys he races against often.
“Having the (Worlds) standard already, for me, it means I don’t necessarily have to shoot for a fast time. At this point, it’s about getting racing experience, technical experience. What I’ll be looking for is winning against these guys, try to get some experience of being in the pack and moving up. I’ve had so many injuries over the years, that racing instincts aren’t as sharp as they should be.”
In addition to Philibert-Thiboutot, Proveciat, Gregorek and Prakel, the field also includes UBC grad Kieran Lumb (PB, 3:38.21 and Aaron Ahl of SFU (PB, 3:38.74.) Five others who have run under 3:40.00 are also scheduled to be in the field.
Proveciat opened his 2022 outdoor season with a strong 3:36.80 at Azusa, Calif., on April 15, then struggled to 3:43.46 a day later at the Mt. SAC Relays and a 3:43.26 at Eugene on May 6 when he believed tthe Worlds standard was a strong possibility.
“I was gunning for standard thinking this was the one. But maybe having too much time to think about it, being off school and then the weather that night, there was a really big shower right before our race started. So that race didn’t go as planned.
“But since (a 3:38.51 at the USATF Distance Classic at Walnut, Calif., on May 19) . . . I’ve had some of the best training sessions that I’ve ever had.”
He’ll race the Portland Track Classic this Saturday, “then two days to recover for the Jerome. I’m really looking forward to this next week.”
Tickets to the meet are now available online at www.harryjerome.com
For more information contact
Nigel Hole, meet director
778-891-9350
Marek Jedrzejek, president Achilles Track and Field Society
Gary Kingston, media co-ordinator
604-329-2104
Checkout our INSTAGRAM Site with video interviews
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