Canada's Philibert-Thiboutot upgraded to silver in tightly contested 5K at Pan Am Games

Canada's Charles Philibert-Thiboutot on the Pan Am Games podium — and a step higher than last time.

The 32-year-old raced to silver in the men's 5,000 metres at the Pan Am Games on Tuesday in Santiago, Chile, improving on his bronze from eight years ago in the 1,500 in Toronto.

Philibert-Thiboutot, of Quebec City, crossed posted a time of 14 minutes 48.02 seconds, well off his personal best of 13:12.76 set last May. The Olympic qualifying standard for Paris is 13:05.

That was originally good for third place, while Mexico's Fernando Martinez crossed first at 14:47.68 and American Kasey Knevelbaard trailed by just one-one hundredth of a second to score silver.

WHAT A FINISH