Sage Watson

Sage Heather Walker (née Watson born 20 June 1994) is a Canadian athlete specializing in the 400 metres hurdles. Competing internationally for Canada, she is the reigning Pan American champion in the 400 m hurdles, having also won Pan American medals in 2015 and 2019 as part of Canada's relay team.

Career

Watson first represented her country at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, where she reached the semifinals. In July 2016 she was officially named to Canada's Olympic team, reaching the semifinals in the 400m hurdles and finishing fourth as part of Canada's women's 4x400 metres relay team.

At the 2017 World Championships, Watson finished sixth. At the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Watson qualified to the final of the 400m hurdles with a national record time of 54.32, breaking the previous record of Rosey Edeh that had stood since 1996.

Watson competed at her second Olympics in Tokyo in 2021. She qualified to the semi-finals of the 400 m hurdles, but placed fifth there and did not advance to the final. The Canadian team in the relay finished in fourth place for the second consecutive Olympics, which she remarked afterward "really hurts."

Due to a back injury incurred six weeks before the Tokyo Games, Watson would later announce that she was stepping away from competition to focus on recovery.

Private life Watson married US Olympic pole vaulter Brad Walker, now a chiropractor. They purchased her grandfather's farm in Alberta.

International competitions 1Disqualified in the final

Personal bests Outdoor 200 metres – 23.80 (-0.2 m/s, Tucson 2017) 400 metres – 51.62 (Tucson 2018) 400 metres hurdles – 54.32 (Doha 2019) Indoor 400 metres – 51.84 (College Station 2018)