University of Lethbridge alumnus James Steacy (BASc '09) is one of four Canadian Olympians and 29 athletes in total who have been selected to participate in the 25th Summer Universiade, July 1-12, in Belgrade, Serbia.
A total of 14 female and 15 male athletes will represent Canada at the international event, led by an Olympic foursome that includes hammer thrower James Steacy of Lethbridge, 400-metre specialist Carline Muir of Edmonton, high jumper Michael Mason of Nanoose Bay, B.C., and long jumper Ruky Abdulai of Coquitlam, B.C.
Another Team Canada member, sprinter Richard Adu-Bobie of Orleans, Ont., was an alternate for the Canadian 4x100m relay at both the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.
Last summer in Beijing, Steacy became the first Canadian in 84 years to reach the Olympic hammer throw final, finishing in 10th place. Steacy was 13th in the event at the 2007 IAAF world championships and won gold medals in the discipline at the 2007 Pan American Games and the 2005 Jeux de la Francophonie. He holds the national record of 79.13 metres, 2.19m more than the toss which earned Belarus' Aleksandr Vashchyla Universiade gold in 2007 in Bangkok, Thailand.
Steacy is one of the most decorated athletes in CIS track and field history. He was named male rookie of the year in 2002-03, was chosen athlete of the year in field events on four occasions, and in five appearances at the CIS championships with the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns he captured five weight throw titles and won the shot put competition three times. He remained undefeated in the weight throw his entire university career.
Steacy and Mason head a group of nine athletes who have Universiade experience. Steacy competed in the discus in 2005 in Izmir, Turkey, where he placed eighth in the qualifying round and did not advance. Mason jumped his way to ninth place in 2007 in Bangkok.
Canada has tallied 59 athletics medals in its history at the Universiade including four gold, 29 silver and 26 bronze medals.
The Summer Universiade is an international multi-sport event that takes place every two years, and is second only to the Olympic Games in the number of participating athletes and countries. The Universiade is open to competitors between the ages of 17 and 28 in the year of the Games who are full-time students at a post-secondary institution (university, college, CEGEP) or have graduated from a post-secondary institution in the year preceding the event.
