By Mitch Bach

Eyeing up the World; Sage Watson’s tear on the track continues

Jul 13, 2017 | 3:33 PM

PHOENIX, AZ — Following a record-setting performance at the Canadian Track and Field Championships, Medicine Hat’s Sage Watson is eyeing up the IAAF World Championships in London, UK next month.

“It’s very important, obviously because I’m wearing Canada on my chest,” said the 23-year-old 400m hurdler. “It’s very important to represent Canada the best I can at that level.”

Watson is already doing a bang-up job representing her country this summer. Last month, the Olympian captured her first NCAA Championship crown, setting a new personal best time of 54.52 — 13-100ths of a second off the Canadian record set by Rosey Edeh in the ’96 Olympic Games.

That’s not counting the many other international bells and whistles won as a junior and youth in previous seasons.

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Four weeks after wrapping up her college career, the Seven Person’s product inked her name into the Canadian Track and Field Championship record book. Watson cruised through with a winning time of 54.97. She’s the only runner to ever cross the line sub-55 in that meet, breaking a record set one year before she was born.

“I went into that race to run the best that I could,” she continued, noting it was one of the first races of the year she executed her hurdle plan. “It was kind of the icing on the cake to come away with the meet record. It definitely motivates me and gives me confidence going into the rest of the summer.”

Although her sights are set squarely on the World Championships next month, Watson has a few events before then to help her tune up.

This Friday, the Arizona Wildcat is in Spain for the 35th Meet at Madrid. From there, Watson flies to Belgium for a week of training, followed by a trip to Heusden, Netherlands for Night of Athletics on July 22.

“After that, I will be flying back to Arizona and getting in a good training period before I head off to London on August 1st,” she added.

This is Watson’s second trip to the IAAF World Track and Field Championships.

In 2015, the Hat High graduate made it as far as the semi-finals before finishing 19th overall.

Watson’s best finish internationally came in the Rio Olympics last summer — 11th place overall with a semi-final time of 55.44.

One year later, she’s running sub-55 races on a consistent basis.

“The ultimate goal is to get into the final (at World’s),” Watson said. “And from there, be competitive for a medal.”

The IAAF World Track and Field Championships run from August 4-13. Watson’s first race is on August 7th.