Winnipeg’s Teschuk places 46th in steeplechase event

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This article was published 15/08/2016 (3629 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg’s steeplechaser Erin Teschuk finished in 46th place overall at the 2016 Olympics Games in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday.

Teschuk, competing in the 3,000-metre steeplechase event, ran a time of 9:53.70 in the qualifying round at her first Olympics.

“I felt relaxed and ready going into it, but in the race I just felt flat, especially going over the barriers,” said Teschuk in an interview with her alma mater’s website at North Dakota State University. “It wasn’t the race I wanted. I’m taking lots of motivation out of it – get some rest and then get right back at it. Four years down the line, it could be a completely different race for me. I’m trying to focus on that.”

Teschuk, 21, defended her national title this past July in Edmonton and is a seven-time first-team All-American in track and field at NDSU for her accomplishments in NCAA events.

Teschuk told the Free Press in July that she didn’t really start competing competitively until her second year of college. At that point, the Olympics weren’t on her mind.

“The summer before, I had cut off around 30 seconds off my steeplechase time,” she said. “Some of it was due to natural progression, and after my second year of college, I got a new coach and started training more distance. The coaching change made a huge impact on my training.”

Teschuk kept her expectations realistic heading into the Olympics.

“Being younger, as I go forward, I’m sure I’ll be looking for more podium finishes,” she said.

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @scottbilleck