2023-08-22 22:41:51
If he only passed 58 hundredths of a second from the Olympic standard, a doorway to the Paris Games in 2024, Desgagnés, only 25, had every reason to claim victory after his race.
The Quebecer improved by almost two seconds his own personal best, of 8:17.40, also the mark of his native province. The word pride was barely enough to sum up the feelings that inhabited him when contacted by Le Soleil a few minutes after his race.
“I don’t realize it yet, it’s just sick, excited Desgagnés. Looks like I have no words to describe this. It’s the icing on the cake and a great gift to top off the season. I couldn’t have hoped for better and it’s just exceptional to find myself in the top-8 in the world. »
Jean-Simon Desgagnés finished 8th in the 3000m steeplechase at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. Personal best, a few hundredths of a second from the Olympic standard. #lesoleil pic.twitter.com/lQ0mZuvOeW
— Mikaël Lalancette (@MikLalancette) August 22, 2023
On a cloud
The evening of August 23, 2023 will remain etched in his memory for a long time. “It shows that anything is possible,” summed up the doctoral student in medicine.
“What’s happening, it just doesn’t make sense. I’m going to be on cloud nine for a while and I’m going to enjoy it all! »
— Jean-Simon Desgagnes
A few feet from him, his trainer Félix-Antoine Lapointe was somehow recovering from the emotions experienced during the race of his protege, whom he saw climbing the ladder on the Laval University campus in recent years.
“It was probably one of the races during which I was the most nervous in my career as a coach, confided Lapointe. I managed to contain myself and be the best possible support for Jean-Simon. We had our game plan and we said that our ultimate goal, with the riders present, was the top-8 and that’s exactly what he did. These are dream Worlds for him. This is exceptional. »
From 36th to 8th
At his first Worlds last year, Desgagnés finished 36th in the 3000m steeplechase event. His eighth place represents a “phenomenal” progression, appreciates Lapointe.
“If at the beginning of the year, you had told us that he would have finished 8th at the World Championships, we would have had a hard time believing you,” he admitted.
“You will never know what would have happened in a race with a constant pace, but managing to finish 8th is perfect. Couldn’t ask for better. »
— Félix-Antoine Lapointe, his trainer
Unsurprisingly, Moroccan Soufiane el-Bakkali (8:03.53) retained his Worlds crown, having won Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games, thus ending Kenyan domination in this specialty.
Slightly ahead of Simon Kiprop Koech (8:14.37), Desgagnés however did better than the Spaniard Daniel Arce, the American Kenneth Rooks and the Ethiopian Getnet Wale, riders better ranked than him in the world rankings.
His calm, the key
After his race, the start of which was rather slow, Jean-Simon Desgagnés congratulated himself on having “stayed relaxed”, knowing that the pace of his rivals’ pace would eventually accelerate a little later.
“I ran it to perfection at the tactical level”, he proudly analyzed.
“To set a personal best in a race that started so slowly, it proves that the form was there and that I can run faster. I lived it in a relaxed way, but also with a rage to seek more positions. »
— Jean-Simon Desgagnes
As a reward, the Quebec runner was simply planning to fully enjoy his presence on Hungarian soil, after which he will allow himself a short vacation with his parents before returning to training in Quebec in September.
“I’m going to enjoy the city of Budapest, it seems like a pretty amazing city so I’m going to go explore it and see all its secrets and everything that can happen here!” »
Incredible, like his performance in the final!
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