South Hazelton runner Regan Yee has been selected to represent Canada at the World Cross Country Championships on Feb. 18 in Bathurst, Australia.
The announcement came after she opened her 2023 indoor track season in incredible form, running a two-second personal best and world-leading time of 4:30.46 in the women鈥檚 mile. It was a tight race, in which she beat American Molly Sughroue by a quarter of a second.
鈥淚 feel great,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his the strongest indoor season I鈥檝e ever had, so that bodes well going into our outdoor season.鈥�
Regan Yee and Molly Sughroue had a great battle in the mile at the Hawkeye Pro Classic, with Yee getting the edge, 4:30.46 to 4:30.89. Both ran outright personal bests.
鈥� Fast Women (@fast_women)
Yee said she's now off to run her post-race workout of 8 x 800m!
Her time has since been beaten and she sits at the sixth-best time of the year. An impressive feat for an unusual distance for Yee, who is most familiar with the 3000-metre race.
The hot streak continued the following weekend, when Yee won the 3000-meter race at the 2023 John Thomas Terrier Classic, once again edging out an American, Abby Nichols but this time by just 5/100th of a second.
Battle to the line 鈿旓笍
鈥� CITIUS MAG (@CitiusMag)
edges out Abby Nichols at the line as both women get big personal bests of 8:48.53 and 8:48.58.
Yee, a Canadian steeplechaser, joined in the fall and starts the year with 2 races, 2 wins, and 2 PBs.
Yee represented Team Canada at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the steeplechase and currently trains with Flagstaff-based Team Under Armour鈥檚 Dark Sky Mission Project.
The 27-year-old will have some stiff competition in Australia, where she will be part of the 28-athlete team representing Canada.
鈥淭hat was the goal of these last few races. I wanted to prove my fitness and show that I鈥檓 ready to compete for Canada. I got the job done.鈥�
She鈥檚 clearly not done her winning ways, as she鈥檚 full of confidence and aiming for the World Athletics Championships in Budapest this August.
鈥淚t鈥檚 still a ways away, I have a lot of time to stay healthy and keep training and get stronger.鈥�
sam.konnert@blackpress.ca
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