Canadian steeplechaser turns Olympic journey into documentary

Ten months before the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Canadian steeplechaser Jean-Simon Desgagnés was coming off the best season of his career. He finished eighth at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, less than four seconds shy of a medal. Despite the breakthrough, Desgagnés knew he still faced an uphill battle to contend on the sport’s biggest stage, the Olympic Games, while also balancing medical school at Université Laval.

That fall, Desgagnés approached his close friend and film producer Marc-Alexandre Dulude of Galerie Studios with an idea to document his journey to Paris. “I knew the next year would be something special,” Desgagnés says. “Let’s film it and see what we can put together.”

From that point on, Desgagnés’ daily routine became a balancing act. His days often began at 6 a.m. with a run, followed by up to eight hours of studying medicine, before returning to the track for an evening training session.

Dulude followed the steeplechaser through key moments of the season, capturing workouts, the Canadian Track and Field Olympic Trials, and the 2024 Paris Diamond League, where Desgagnés ran 8:13.11—the fifth-fastest steeplechase time in Canadian history. The film also features interviews with notable figures in Quebec distance running, including Canadian 10K record holder Charles Philibert-Thiboutot and coach Félix-Antoine Lapointe.

Last Friday at Cinéma Le Clap in Quebec City, roughly 250 people attended the premiere as Dulude and Desgagnés unveiled the project two years in the making, Comme Pas Deux. The behind-the-scenes documentary was released on YouTube on Dec. 15. It is just over 30 minutes in length and in French. 

Reflecting on the experience, Desgagnés says that while the Olympic Games were the focal point, the journey to get there mattered more than the eight minutes of racing itself. “The Olympics have fuelled me my whole career, and I wanted to live it to the fullest,” he says. “The Games were the pinnacle, but getting there with the people I love was just as meaningful.”

Desgagnés was pleased that the documentary authentically captured who he is as an athlete: goal-driven, but with room for lighthearted fun on the side.

With the 2028 Olympic Games less than three years away, Desgagnés says his focus remains unchanged, both on the track and in medicine. “The motivation is there to go the distance,” he says. “I’ve shown myself it’s doable, and I want to keep improving.”

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