One of Canada’s best track athletes will compete at the Victoria Track Classic at the University of Victoria’s Centennial Stadium on Wednesday, June 12.
Lucia Stafford qualified for the Paris Olympics after a strong performance in Los Angeles and will compete in the women’s 800 meters in Victoria.
“Lucia recently made Olympic standard in a strong 1500-meter field in Los Angeles with a time of 4:02. That makes her the fastest in Canada at this time as she builds towards Paris,” said Rowan Debues-Stafford, Track Classic Meet Director.
The Victoria Track Classic includes men’s 100m, women’s 100m hurdles, men’s and women’s 400m, 800m, and 1500m races, and women’s discus. It is a world-sanctioned event, and competitors can earn points to secure selection for national or Olympic teams.
“It’s awesome to be competing in Victoria,” Stafford said. “This is the home track for both my siblings, so it’s like a home meet in some ways.”
The Victoria Track Classic was founded in 1988 and has hosted various Canadian Olympians, including Melissa Bishop, Diane Cummins, Angela Chalmers and Debbie Scott, in the 800 and 1500 meters.
“The West Coast has been kind to me so far this season, so I’m excited to get back out here, surrounded by the Canadian track community, as I fine-tune ahead of Nationals and Paris,” Stafford said.
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