The twiggy Jessica Smith looks barely wider than a javelin. The gentle wind created by a passing runner might even blow her over.
But the 22-year-old from North Vancouver proved Sunday that shes tough, gutsy and has a great finishing kick.
Needing to get under the Olympic A standard of one minute, 59.90 seconds for the 800 metres to qualify for the London Olympics, Smith dug in down the front stretch of the Swangard Stadium track, moving outside to go from third to first and crossing the line in 1:59.86 to win her event at the Vancouver Sun Harry Jerome Track Classic.
Im just beyond belief right now, said Smith as she fought to get her breath back moments after the race.
In 2011, she won the Jerome 800 in 2:01.50, a personal best by three seconds.
Two years in a row, Ive felt so good in the last 150 metres, and its incredible how much you can improve in one season. Im in disbelief that Ive gone under two (minutes).
She becomes only the fourth Canadian woman to go under two minutes in what is often called the toughest event in track, one that requires a combination of speed, endurance and perhaps most importantly a high pain threshold.
Only 21 women in the world have gone faster this season, including teammate Melissa Bishop of Eganville, Ont., whose 1:59.82 PB at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Ore., a week earlier meant Smith needed the A standard to get to London.
Smith knew she had run a good race, but didnt see the finish line clock. As she bent over at the waist, 10 metres past the finish line gasping for air, her time was announced and she was immediately engulfed in a emotional bear hug by Bishop, who had finished third in 2:00.45 behind Smith and American Alice Schmidt (1:59.93), and coach Brit Townsend.
Im going to get really emotional again now, said Townsend minutes later. I wanted it for her so badly. Shes just such an incredible person. Jess has been working so hard.
Its actually the first time Ive seen her more nervous because I think shes finally realized this is possible and I want it really badly. She did everything she needed to do, ran a super smart race.
After a Thursday training session in windy, wet conditions, Smith admitted she was worried about her ability to get the standard. But by the time her race went over at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, there were patches of blue sky above, the temperature was perfect and and the wind had died right down.
Still, she admitted to being nervous, anxious, happy, relief that it was finally here on the start line.
For days, Ive been like Oh, its coming on Sunday. Thats where Ill do it. To finally have just broke that barrier, its incredible.
Bishop said she was delighted to have another woman go under two minutes. Its a big feat for Canada.
The two will now have to finish top three at the Canadian Olympic team trials in Calgary at the end of the month to ensure their place on the team headed to London. With three other Canadian women Lemlem Ogbasilassie (2:00.45), veteran Olympian Diane Cummins (2:01.11) and Kaite Palmer (2:01.40) also having strong races on Sunday, its not necessarily a lock.
But with the standard out of the way and no pacesetter at trials, Smith has relieved what she calls a whole bunch of pressure.
And as Towsend, says, Smith can work now on the tactical side of the race.
Shes learning a lot on how to race. If you can go into a race where you realize I dont have to run a time, but I need to beat some people youre going to be smart on your tactics.
Female athletes were the stars of the show Sunday, with javelin thrower Liz Gleadle of Vancouver breaking her own Canadian record with 61.15-metre effort and heptathlete Jessica Zelinka of Calgary setting a personal best of 12.76 in the 100-metre hurdles, knocking off veteran Olympians Perdita Felcien and Angela Whyte in the process.
In fact, the women did the next to impossible by actually overshadowing shot putter Dylan Armstrong, the Kamloops native who at 345 pounds provides one very large shadow.
Armstrong, the 2011 world championships silver medalist and one of the Canadas best medal hopefuls for London, threw 21.24 on his third of six attempts to easily win his event. None of the other six competitors cleared 20 metres, with Ming-Huang Chang of Chinese Taipei finishing second with a throw of 19.82 metres.
Very happy with [21.14], very surprised, said Armstrong, who admitted to being extremely tired after a hectic schedule the last six weeks that saw him bouncing from the Cayman Islands, to South Korea, to Europe, to Eugene, Ore., back to Europe on Thursday, then back to Canada.
Being consistent is one of my big things. I am very tired and to throw over 21 metres, considering what Ive been through, were right on track.
Zelinka called herhurdles effort a really good run.
I was just coming here, solely to work on competing. Its two months before the Olympics, its time to get that excitement back and let it go.
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