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Another personal-best performance earned Kelowna’s Rostam Turner an international record and a decathlon gold medal in San Salvador recently.
The Okanagan Athletics Club member posted a PB score of 7,601 points and set a U23 North American, Central American and Caribbean track and field championships record in the process.
Turner opened his first international event abroad with a personal-best 11.08 seconds in the 100 metres, a PB of 7.03 in the high jump and a long jump PB of 1.91 metres. Another personal record came in the 400 metres with a time of 48.97 seconds.
Day 2 began early the next morning with the 110-metre hurdles (15.85) while the Kelowna Secondary School graduate and University of Toronto student threw 45.40 metres in the discus, followed by a huge 4.60-metre jump in the pole vault. He threw 57.60 metres in javelin.
To that point the race for first place was tight between Rostam and American athlete, Cody Walton. The final event would determine the champion.
Turner led the 1,500 metres from start to finish in a time of 4:43.28 to take the gold and break the NACAC record held by his older brother and former Canadian champion, James Turner, in the 10-event competition over a 20-hour period.
Improving every time he set foot on the track this season, Turner is ranked No.4 in the country behind Canadian Olympian Damian Warner (8,523), Pierce LePage (7,953), and older brother, James Turner (7,776).
Rostam Turner placed third at Chula Vista, Calif. in May with a point total of 7,466 that included seven personal-best performances.
Representing Team Canada at the Pan American Cup in Ottawa in June, Rostam won a Pan Am silver medal and was named 2016 national champion, with a score of 7,565 points.
Turner, 21, said he was probably overly excited about travelling for the first time to another country for an international competition.
“There were many things to adjust to — time difference, food and weather — but it was great to be representing Canada and being surrounded by some of the top young athletes in the country.
“Everybody got along really well, which helped me stay relaxed and it made my experience that much more enjoyable,” he added. “Once the competition started, I felt focused just like in any other meet.”
Turner said he and OAC coach, Pat Sima-Ledding, went over a few things — including technical cues and warm-up drills — before leaving for El Salvador to make sure he was focused on each event.
“Having that overlying plan to keep me on task and be organized was extremely helpful and it facilitated the entire decathlon — especially on the mental side of things.”
Turner spoke highly of his support team.
“I’m extremely grateful to have had Pat (Sima-Ledding) at my side throughout the season. She’s played an integral role in all the progress I’ve made this year,” said Turner.
“I was also fortunate to have a team of sports therapists helping me out throughout the season. Both Roy Gillespie (physiotherapist) and Rory Switzer (massage therapist) helped me recover from workouts as well as keep me out of injury trouble.”
Turner will take some well-deserved time off in August before returning to the University of Toronto for a fourth year in the kinesiology program. He’ll continue to compete at the CIS level and prepare for more international competition next season.
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