Métis decathlete captures silver medal at Summer Games
- Marjorie Roden | August 08, 2017
At the Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Saskatchewan-born Métis athlete Kieran Johnston came away with the silver medal in the men’s decathlon after the grueling two-day competition. Johnston was the leader after the first day, which he capped off with an astounding first place finish in the final event of the day, the 400 m sprint.
Johnston set the stage in a dramatic style, taking his time on the track before getting into the starting blocks. “I just wanted to make sure I was prepared,” said Johnston.
“I think some of those other guys were just going into that 400 (meter race) like it was the last event of the day, ‘let’s just get it over with’. I wanted to do it good, excel out of those blocks, make sure I was really ready. I wanted to make a statement.”
Johnston did exactly that, as he left his opponents in the dust by at least ten or twenty meters as he sailed over the finish line. He continued, “Lots of the events that we did today, I’ve done before, with the exception of the high jump. I know the 100 meters and 400 meter (races) were going to go really well. I didn’t think the four would go that well. That was a bit of a surprise, but a welcome surprise!”
On the second day, he held onto the lead until he hit the pole vault, javelin, and discus events, putting him into second place overall in the event. The last event of the competition was the 1500-meter race, which had all of the competitors on the track at the same time. Even with the extra bodies on the course, Johnston came in second, securing his silver medal.
“Championships are more about the result than score, and I got second here at a really big event, so I’m happy!”
Like many athletes competing in the Canada Games, Johnston has plans for his post-secondary education in the fall.
“I’m in Arts and Science (at the University of Saskatchewan). I was in Engineering first but it didn’t quite work out, so I’m in Arts now. I’m thinking about pursuing theatre! I’ve done a lot of amateur plays, within the Saskatoon Community Theatre scene, I really like it.”
Certainly, he has set the stage for greatness, no matter what he chooses to pursue, with his very positive attitude and determination.