Ceili McCabe breaks Canadian 3000m steeplechase record at USATF Grand Prix in Los Angeles

© Copyright – 2024 – Athletics Illustrated

Twenty-two-year-old Ceile McCabe from Vancouver improved the Canadian 3000-metre steeplechase record Friday night in Los Angeles at the USATF Grand Prix at Drake Stadium. She recorded a 9:20.58 performance for the win.

The top five finishers ran under the 2024 Paris Olympic standard of 9:23.00. Madison Boreman set a personal best (PB) of 9:21.98 to take second, while 2022 world champion Norah Jeruto of Kazakhstan finished in third position in 9:22.45.

Jeruto led for much of the race. But, she paid for her front running in the end. Germany’s Lea Meyer clocked 9:22.51 and Poland’s Alicja Konieczek recorded a 9:22.52 performance to meet the Olympic standard.

RECORD NATIONAL ! 🇨🇦🚀

Ceili McCabe a remporté le 3000 m steeplechase féminin au Grand Prix USATF de Los Angeles avec un temps de 9:20,58 !

🥇🏃‍♀️ En plus d'atteindre le standard olympique, elle établit un record canadien ! ⭐

📸 : Charlie Healey / WVU Athletics Communications pic.twitter.com/g13iDcQQ18

— Équipe Canada (@Equipe_Canada) May 18, 2024

Jeruto’s provisional suspension

Since being caught for alleged blood doping in an out-of-competition test, the former Kenyan hasn’t been the same.

In April 2023, she was provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for the use of an unidentified prohibited substance/method from her biological passport (ABP) data. After an investigation, the suspension was lifted in November 2023. However, the AIU is considering appealing to the Court of Arbitration of Sport.

Jeruto did not test positive, however, there were anomalies in her blood profile in 2020 and 2021. They were unusual enough to count as evidence of doping.

The national 3000msc record

Geneviève Lalonde held the national record at 9:22.40 set during the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games. The Moncton, NB native earned it back, after losing it to Regan Yee of Langley. Lalonde, now living in Victoria, BC originally had the record from her performance during the 2017 London World Athletics Championships at 9:29.99. Yee improved the record to 9:27.54 in Montreal in 2021. McCabe’s performance shaves nearly two seconds off the latest record.

McCabe will now have to compete in the national championships and Olympic Trials at Montreal’s Centre Claude-Robillard from June 26 to June 30. She will need to finish top three and be ranked top 36.

McCabe competed in the 2022 and 2023 World Athletics Championships improving her place from 26th to 19th. She is a three-time bronze medallist in the NCAA for West Virginia.

Other Canadians in the race include Yee, who did not finish. Grace Fetherstonhaugh who finished 11th in the time of 9:39.62 and Alycia Butterworth, who clocked a 9:59.17 for 16th.

Results