Montreal’s Simone Plourde might be a reputation to observe this summer time in Paris.
The 23-year-old concluded her 2024 indoor season with 4 private bests within the 800m, 1,500m, mile, and three,000m. She additionally represented Staff Canada for the second time in eight months within the girls’s 1,500m, competing on the 2024 World Indoor Championships in Glasgow (earlier this month), the place she left wanting extra.
Plourde completed fifth in her 1,500m warmth, lacking out on certainly one of three automated qualifying spots to the ultimate. “I knew the health was there,” mentioned Plourde post-race. “It’s simply the boldness that should come alongside. The massive stage could be intimidating.”
Reflecting on her expertise in Glasgow, Plourde acknowledged the significance of studying from the expertise. She at the moment trains with Nike’s Union Athletics Membership, one of many high distance operating teams in North America, below the steering of Pete Julian and Irish Olympic medallist Sonia O’Sullivan.
“Coaching with Union has been nice, and I really feel actually supported,” says Plourde. “It helps when you will have good coaches and teammates to maintain pushing me ahead.”
“I actually tried to go for it, however when it got here for switching gears—I simply didn’t have it in me.”
Simone Plourde 🇨🇦 on her fifth-place end within the W 1,500m heats. pic.twitter.com/AcSTzhTeHq
— Canadian Working (@CanadianRunning) March 1, 2024
Transitioning from school to the skilled circuit final summer time, Plourde forwent her last two years of eligibility within the NCAA to signal with Nike. Regardless of the difficult adjustment, she feels she’s in a wonderful place to get to Paris. “I couldn’t ask for extra,” says Plourde. “We’re continually making an attempt new issues and doing exercises I’ve by no means finished earlier than in coaching.”
Because the outside season approaches, Plourde at the moment holds an Olympic qualification spot within the Highway To Paris rankings primarily based on World Athletics factors. Nevertheless, that might change. For her to punch a ticket to France, she will probably be aiming for the 1,500m automated qualifying mark of 4:02.50 within the coming months.
