Babcock Competes in 5,000 Meters at Summer Olympics
8/20/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field, Olympics
ATHENS, Greece -- Former University of Michigan women's track standout Courtney Babcock (1992-94, '96) did not qualify for the 5,000-meter run final at the 2004 Olympics today (Friday, Aug. 20), clocking in at 15:47.35 in her heat. Representing Canada, she placed 16th in her heat and finished 29th in a field of 41.
Babcock finished eighth in the 5,000 meters (14:54.98) at the 2003 World Championships in Paris and bettered the national record in the 10,000-meter run (31:44.74) by six seconds at the 2003 Cardinal Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif., before a foot injury sidelined her for six weeks. She was granted an injury appeal after failing to meet the Olympic B standard at the 2004 Canadian trials, where she earned a bronze in the 5,000 meters. Babcock is currently ranked 31st in the world in the 5,000 and 10,000.
Babcock is the Canadian record holder in the 5,000- and 10,000-meter runs and is only the second Canadian to finish the 5,000-meter run in under 15 minutes. Babcock was the 5,000-meter Canadian national champion in 2001 and 2002 and claimed the 10,000-meter national crown in 2002 with a personal-best 32:14.52.
Babcock was a seven-time All-American in track and cross country at Michigan and was a member of U-M's 1994 NCAA champion distance medley relay team. She still holds the U-M school record for the indoor mile (4:39.31) that was set in 1994.
