Simone Plourde

Simone Plourde
Personal information
Born (2000-07-08) 8 July 2000 (age 24)
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
EducationUniversity of Utah
EmployerNike
Height5 ft 5 in (165 cm)
Sport
SportAthletics
EventMiddle distance running
University teamUtah Utes (2021-23)
BYU Cougars (2020-21)
ClubNike Union Athletics Club
Coached byPete Julian
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
  • 800 m: 2:04.34 (Fayetteville 2024)
  • 1500 m: 4:05.92 (Los Angeles 2024)
  • Mile: 4:24.67 (New York 2024)
  • 3000 m: 8:53.95 (Seattle 2023)
  • 5000 m: 15:13.57 (Azusa 2023)

Simone Plourde (born 8 July 2000) is a Canadian middle distance runner who competes in the 1500 m. From 2021 to 2023, she competed for the Utah Utes, before signing professionally with Nike and joining the Union Athletics Club in 2023. She also represented Canada at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.[1]

Early life

Born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, Plourde's initial main sporting interests were in skiing and soccer.[2] She started to train seriously in athletics in 2018.[3]

Plourde attended secondary school at Pensionnat Saint-Nom-de-Marie and CEGEP at Collège André-Grasset, before enrolling at Brigham Young University in fall 2020. Citing difficulties with fitting into BYU's primarily Mormon population, she before transferred to the University of Utah in 2021.

Athletics career

Collegiate

Competing for the University of Utah,[4] Plourde won the 1500 m at the PAC-12 Championships in May 2023, breaking Shelby Houlihan’s conference record by close to two seconds.[5] In the 5000 m, she placed seventh at the 2023 NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas in June.[3]

Professional

On June 29, 2023, She set a Quebec provincial record as she ran a personal best over 1500m at La Classique d’athlétisme de Montréal. She turned professional in July of 2023, joining the Nike Union Athletics Club based in Portland, Oregon. Making her Union Athletics Club debut at the Harry Jerome Classic, she set another personal best and Quebec record of 4:06.47 [6] She finished second in the 1500 m at the Canadian Track and Field Championships in July 2023.[7] She was selected for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August 2023 where she finished tenth in her heat.[8][9]

In February 2024, she ran a huge personal best in the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games in New York, recording 4:24.67, an improvement of more than 17 seconds. This placed her third all-time among Canadian women, behind only Gabriela DeBues-Stafford and her sister, Lucia Stafford.[9] She was selected for the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow as part of the Canadian team, to compete in the 1500 metres, where she was eliminated in the heats.[10] She competed in the 1500 metres at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris in August 2024.[11]

References

  1. ^ "Simone Plourde". World Athletics. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  2. ^ Robinson, Doug (4 May 2023). "The circuitous route this track duo took to Utah — and to stardom". Deseret. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  3. ^ a b Dickinson, Marley (19 July 2023). "Canada's Simone Plourde on turning pro and joining Nike's Union Athletics Club". Running Magazine. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  4. ^ "Simone Plourde is part of a group of transfers trying to rebuild Utah track". Salt Lake Tribune. 5 June 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  5. ^ "B.C. runner wins two NCAA conference titles". Running Magazine. 15 May 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  6. ^ Dickinson, Marley (14 July 2023). "Montreal's Simone Plourde turns pro, joining Nike's Union Athletics Club". Running Magazine. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  7. ^ "Plourde Takes Second at Canadian Championships". utahutes. July 30, 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  8. ^ Robinson, Doug (18 August 2023). "These 7 Utah ties will be competing in the world track and field championships this week". Deseret.com. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  9. ^ a b Harrison, Doug (11 February 2024). "Plourde, Lumb, Philibert-Thiboutot run personal bests for Canada at Millrose Games". cbc. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  10. ^ Dickinson, Marley (15 February 2024). "Athletics Canada names nine athletes to 2024 World Indoor Championship team". Running Magazine. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  11. ^ "Women's 1500m Results - Paris Olympic Games 2024 Athletics". Watch Athletics. 10 August 2024. Retrieved 8 September 2024.


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