DeBues-Stafford

After a 2020 outdoor season that only consisted of two races, Gabriela DeBues-Stafford made up for lost time in 2021. She ran a blistering personal best time of 1:58.70 in the 800 metres in May, becoming the first Canadian woman to ever break two minutes in the 800 metres, four minutes in the 1,500 metres and 15 minutes in the 5,000 metres.

After a 2019 season that was, quite literally, one for the record books, missing out on a full 2020 competition season must have been disappointing. She took advantage of the races she did run in 2020, setting new personal bests in the 400 metres (59.76) and the 1,000 metres (2:42.23). She also set Canadian records in the 1,500 metres (4:00.80) and the mile (4:19.73), respectively, at the Millrose Games in New York..

When the calendar flipped over from 2019 to 2020, DeBues-Stafford had set 11 personal bests and eight national records. She started the 2019 season by breaking the indoor 5,000-metre Canadian record, once held by Megan Metcalfe-Wright (15:25.15), when the clock flashed 14:57.45 at the Glasgow Metric Miler meeting.

DeBues-Stafford was back at it less than a month later in Boston, this time breaking the Canadian indoor mile record. Her time of 4:24.80 at the New Balance Grand Prix surpassed Kate Van Buskirk’s time of 4:26.92 set in 2018.

She took her record-breaking ways into the outdoor season in Europe, where she broke the 16-year-old Canadian record in the 5,000 metres in Stockholm, Sweden. The time of 14:54.98, held by Courtney Babcock, was untouched since Aug. 30, 2003, until DeBues-Stafford ran away with it, crossing the finish line in 14:51.59. DeBues-Stafford did it again on Sept. 6, 2019, lowering her time to 14:44.12 in the 5,000 metres in Belgium to officially punch her ticket to Tokyo crossing the finish line well under the entry standard of 15:10.00.

She saved perhaps the best for last, setting a new Canadian record time of 3:56.12 in the 1,500 metres at the World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, more than eight seconds faster than the Olympic Entry Standard (4:04.20), which gives her the opportunity to double in Tokyo.

Already a four-time Canadian Champion in the 1,500 metres, DeBues-Stafford has developed into a force to be reckoned with in middle-distance races. Developing through the Canadian high school and university ranks, she dominated the U SPORTS scene with the University of Toronto, helping the women’s team capture three consecutive U SPORTS Championships, before turning professional.