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O’Connell to Represent Canada in Rio
July 11, 2016 04:53 PM | Track & Field
West Virginia University track and field and cross country graduate Jessica O’Connell was named to the 2016 Canadian Olympic Team in the 5,000-meter run, announced on Monday by the Canadian Olympic Committee and Athletics Canada.
O’Connell is one of 65 athletes nominated to represent Team Canada in track and field events at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games from August 5-21. She will join fellow WVU graduate and former roommate Sarah Anne-Brault on Team Canada, as Brault earned a spot in the triathlon on June 29.
“I'm so grateful, excited and relieved,” said O’Connell. “I've believed that I had the realistic potential to become an Olympian for several years, but I know that it's not just a matter of working hard. It's also unrelenting stubbornness, the support of others and a bit of luck to be ready at the right time. It's a bit surreal right now, but I keep finding myself smiling and fighting back happy tears as I realize that this is really happening.
"I'm so grateful for my time at West Virginia for teaching me many of the attributes of truly being a high performance athlete. I was surrounded by some of the hardest working individuals that I've ever met on the WVU track and cross country teams, and the experience was both humbling and inspiring. Coach Sean Cleary was there at the Canadian Olympic Trials spectating, and it was very special to have him witness such an important moment.”
At the Canadian Olympic Trials on July 7, O’Connell placed third out of 17 runners in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 16:00.90, just 0.48 seconds shy of winning the race. Andrea Seccafien won, crossing the finish line in 16:00.42, and Sasha Gollish took second with a time of 16:00.65.
A Calgary, Alberta, native, O’Connell was one of three individuals who achieved the Olympic standard qualifying time before the trials. She ran a personal-best time and Olympic qualifying time of 15:06.44 in the 5,000 meters in May 2015. With the Olympic time standard being 15:24.00, O’Connell beat the standard time by 0.18.44 seconds last year.
In Rio, the first round of the 5,000-meter run will take place on Tuesday, August 16, while the final round is slated for Friday, August 19. Both events will take place at Olympic Stadium in Maracanã. The triathlon is set for August 20 in Fort Copacabana.
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