Canada’s Kieran Lumb and Lucia Stafford advance into 1,500m finals

Canadian middle-distance runners Kieran Lumb and Lucia Stafford followed up a day of solid performances for Team Canada at the 2024 World Indoor Championships in Glasgow. Lumb placed second in men’s 1,500m heats to advance to his first world final, while Stafford took the third and final spot in a tactical heat to punch a ticket into Sunday’s women’s 1,500m final.

Stafford came into World Indoor with an extra gear after bowing out of the heats last summer in Budapest. Her race strategy was to hold her position on the inside lane, which worked out for the 26-year-old in the final 100 metres. She will now get a chance to compete for a medal in women’s 1,500m.

“The women’s 1,500m is on another level,” says Stafford. “The difference between making the final and not, comes down to the day.” On thing Stafford says she kept telling herself during today’s race was to be patient. “Race tactics are important, and this is something I’ve had to learn.”

All smiles from Lucia Stafford 🇨🇦 on qualifying for Sunday’s W 1,500m final.#WICGlasgow2024 pic.twitter.com/n5CQ6XVO5v

— Canadian Running (@CanadianRunning) March 1, 2024

This will be Stafford’s first global final. She almost made the Olympic final three years ago in Tokyo. “I needed to step up my game,” Stafford told Canadian Running.

For Lumb, this will also be his first world final on the men’s side. Lumb led his heat of the men’s 1,500m from nearly 200m onwards, only passed by Portugal’s Isaac Nader on the bell lap. “I am thrilled to be advancing,” says Lumb. “In Budapest, I was happy to be there. Now, I am more confident.”

In the 1,500m event, there’s not much room for error with only three qualifying spots up for grabs, with no time-based qualifiers. With a few of the big names in men’s middle-distance running not competing in Glasgow, due to various reasons, all three medals are up for grabs in Sunday’s final. 

“I need to make good decisions between now and the race,” says Lumb. “Anyone in the final could medal. It’s a very open field and I want to put it all together on the day.”

“Anyone in the final could medal… it’s a very open field. I want to do all I can to put it together on the day.”

Kieran Lumb 🇨🇦 on advancing to Sunday’s men’s 1,500m final.#WICGlasgow24 pic.twitter.com/QmD2HLca10

— Canadian Running (@CanadianRunning) March 1, 2024

Quebec’s Simone Plourde and Charles Philibert-Thiboutot did not place in the top three of their respective heats to advance to Sunday’s final.

Earlier on Day 1, Canadian shot putter Sarah Mitton won the first medal at the World Indoor Championships, throwing a national record mark to win gold.