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Former Syracuse track and field and cross country runner Justyn Knight announced he was selected to represent Team Canada at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

It’s OFFICIAL, I have been selected to represent Team Canada at the Olympics this summer??.

To my family, close friends, coaches and teammates… Only you know how hard I’ve worked to get here. I couldn’t have done it without all of you.

#TeamCanada

— Justyn Knight (@justyn_knight) July 3, 2021

Knight ran distance events at SU, most notably finishing as the 5000-meter champion at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in 2018. He first competed with Canada at the 2014 IAAF World Junior Championships, where he finished 8th in the 5000-meter race.

The 24-year-old was ranked as the 11th-best runner in the men’s 5000-meter race for 16 weeks and set his personal best (12:51:93) in the event at the Stadio Luigi Ridolfi in Italy on June 10. Although he didn’t begin running until his sophomore year of high school, Knight was the Canadian Junior record holder in the mile (3:59.57) in 2013.

With the Orange, Knight was an eight-time U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-American and was named to the USTFCCCA first team seven times. During his sophomore season, Syracuse cross country won the national title — their second in program history. Knight broke SU’s record in the 1500-meter event at the Virginia Challenge, and he holds four different track and field records.

Fellow Syracuse alumni Jerami Grant (Team USA basketball) and Jenna Caira (Team Canada softball) will join Knight at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Published on July 3, 2021 at 1:29 pm

Contact Anthony: aalandt@syr.edu | @anthonyalandt