Justyn Knight
{{Short description|Canadian runner (born 1996)}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| headercolor =
| name = Justyn Knight
| native_name =
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| image = Justyn Knight at the 2025 Portland Track Festival 02.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Knight in 2025
| birth_name =
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| residence =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|07|19|df=y}}
| birth_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| death_date =
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| spouse =
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| sport = Track, long-distance running
| rank =
| event =
| collegeteam =
| universityteam = Syracuse
| height = 179 cm
| weight = 60 kg
| club =
| team =
| turnedpro = 2018
| partner =
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| coach = Jerry Schumacher
| retired =
| coaching =
| worlds =
| regionals =
| nationals =
| olympics =
| highestranking =
| pb = {{unbulleted list
|1500 m: 3:33.41 (Walnut 2021)
|Mile: 3:59.08 (Cork City 2019)
|2-mile: 8:19.75 (Palo Alto 2019)
|5000 m: 12:51.93 (Florence 2021)
|10,000 m 29:46.41 (Tallahassee 2016)
|1500 m: 3:36.13 (Boston 2020, NR)
|2-mile: 8:13.92 (Staten Island 2021)
}}
| show-medals =
| updated = 19 August 2021
| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Athletics}}
{{MedalCountry | {{CAN}} }}
{{MedalCompetition | North American, Central American and Caribbean Championships }}
{{MedalBronze | 2018 Toronto | 5000 m }}
{{MedalCompetition|Pan Am U20 Cross Country}}
{{MedalGold |2015 Barranquilla| Individual}}
{{MedalCompetition|NACAC U20 Cross Country}}
{{MedalSilver |2014 Tobago| Team}}
}}
Justyn Knight (born 19 July 1996) is a Canadian long-distance track runner.{{cite web|url=http://www.all-athletics.com/node/867525|publisher=All-Athletics.com|title=Profile of Justyn Knight|access-date=2017-04-18|archive-date=2017-05-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170530234201/http://www.all-athletics.com/node/867525|url-status=dead}} A successful collegiate runner during his time at Syracuse University, he was the school's most-decorated distance runner in cross country and track. On the professional scene, he has represented his country at the World and Olympic level, with his highest finish to date being seventh at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Running career
=Youth=
Knight was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario to parents of Afro-Caribbean descent. His mother, Jennifer Knight, was born and raised in Jamaica and moved to Canada at the age of 13.[http://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/trackandfield/justyn-knight-ncaa-xcountry-champ-1.4408825 Canada's Justyn Knight wins 1st NCAA cross-country title in senior season] His father, Anthony Knight, born in Canada to parents from Barbados, was a basketball coach. He also has an older brother, Jaryd Knight, who plays volleyball.{{Cite web|date=2016-01-26|title=Justyn Knight builds off past struggles and pressure to stand out at Syracuse|url=http://dailyorange.com/2016/01/justyn-knight-builds-off-pressure-and-struggles-to-stand-out-at-syracuse/|access-date=2022-02-20|website=The Daily Orange|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=Justyn Knight Interview|url=http://www.garycohenrunning.com/Interviews/Knight.aspx|access-date=2022-02-20|website=www.garycohenrunning.com}}
Knight took up distance running when he was a high school student in Toronto, starting in Grade 10.{{cite web|last=Kissane |first=John |url=http://www.runnersworld.com/college-racing/syracuses-justyn-knight-ready-to-challenge-for-the-win-at-cross-country-championships |title=SyracuseБ─≥s Justyn Knight Ready to Challenge for the Win at Cross Country Championships | Runner's World |website=Runnersworld.com |date=2016-11-14 |access-date=2017-04-18}}{{cite web|last=Carlson|first=Chris|title=Justyn Knight, Carmelo Anthony of Syracuse cross country team, looks to dethrone the king|url=http://www.syracuse.com/orangesports/index.ssf/2016/11/justyn_knight_the_carmelo_anthony_of_the_syracuse_cross-country_team_seeks_to_de.html|newspaper=Syracuse.com|date=18 November 2016|access-date=19 February 2018}} He attended St. Michael's College School. Knight won the 2013 Ontario provincial senior cross country title at OFSAA cross country.
=Collegiate=
Knight was recruited by Syracuse in 2014.{{cite news |last1=Kelsall |first1=Christopher |title=Justyn Knight Commits to Syracuse University |url=https://athleticsillustrated.com/justyn-knight-commits-to-syracuse-university/ |access-date=22 November 2020 |work=Athletics Illustrated |date=27 February 2014 |language=en-CA}} Knight placed 143rd overall at the 2014 NCAA DI Cross Country Championships, which he would later describe as motivation for improvement, stating "I remember races I've lost in great detail. I try to understand why I lost and how I can do better."
Knight placed fourth overall at the 2015 NCAA DI Cross Country Championships. At the 2015 NCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Knight placed sixth in the 5000 meters, earning his first All-American honours in track and field in his NCAA collegiate career.
At the 2016 NCAA DI Indoor Track & Field Championships, Knight finished in third place in the 3000 meters final round. He was the runner-up at the 2016 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships behind Patrick Tiernan and earned All-America status in Cross Country.
On October 27, 2017, Knight won the individual ACC championship, and Syracuse won the ACC team title for the fifth straight year.{{Cite web|title=Justyn Knight Leads Syracuse To Fifth-Straight ACC Crown - FloTrack|url=https://www.flotrack.org/articles/6022773-justyn-knight-leads-syracuse-to-fifth-straight-acc-crown|access-date=2022-02-20|website=www.flotrack.org|date=27 October 2017 |language=en}}
Knight headed into his final NCAA outdoor campaign representing Syracuse with three NCAA titles, two individual, from the cross country and indoor track season, and one team from leading the Orange to the 2015 NCAA Cross Country Championship.{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Connor |last2=Shay |first2=Nolan |title='ZERO TO HERO': An oral history of Syracuse cross country's 2015 national title |url=http://dailyorange.com/2020/11/oral-history-syracuse-cross-country-2015-national-title/ |access-date=22 November 2020 |work=The Daily Orange |date=21 November 2020}}{{Cite web|last1=Post-St|first1=syracuse com | The|last2=ard|date=2018-03-11|title=Justyn Knight just misses on 2nd national title in 2 days|url=https://www.syracuse.com/orangesports/2018/03/syracuse_runner_justyn_knight_just_misses_on_2nd_national_title_in_2_days.html|access-date=2022-02-20|website=syracuse|language=en}} At the 2018 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships, Knight finished in second place in the 3000 meters final round and won the 5000 meters final to earn his first NCAA Division I track title.{{cite web|title=Runner Justyn Knight on the Value of Unrealistic Goals|url=https://www.syracuse.edu/stories/beorange-justyn-knight-athlete/ |access-date=19 August 2021 |website=Syracuse University |last=Cox |first=Jay |date=31 August 2018 }}
=Professional=
Knight had made his World Championship debut at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics in London while still a student at Syracuse. He made the event final and placed ninth overall in the 5000 m. He had said he was "happy but not satisfied" with this finish, and in the future would need to expect more from himself.{{cite web|title= Justyn Knight impressive at 2017 IAAF World Championships|url=https://athleticsillustrated.com/justyn-knight-impressive-at-2017-iaaf-world-championships |access-date=19 August 2021 |website=Athletics Illustrated |last=Kelsall |first=Christopher |date=13 August 2017 }}
Upon graduation to the professional ranks, Knight signed a sponsorship deal with Reebok's Boston Track Club. He won a bronze medal in the 5000 m at 2018 NACAC Championships, but by 2019 was struggling with the transition to the professional scene, as it required him to spend more time away from friends and family. This led to a decline in his physical fitness, and upon arriving to compete at the 2019 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston, he was twenty pounds over his typical race weight. His time in the men's mile was 4:03.34, his worst-ever result at that distance in a competitive race, which he deemed "a huge turning point" as he resolved never to have such a poor result again. He retained his competition bib with notes on his time and placement as motivation.{{cite news|title=How Justyn Knight Went From Dead Last to Canada's Newest Olympic Hope|url=https://www.complex.com/sports/justyn-knight-tokyo-olympics-feature |access-date=19 August 2021 |work=Complex Canada |last=Weisfeld|first=Oren |date=28 July 2021 }}
Knight considered himself to still be out of top shape when he arrived at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha later that year and finished tenth in the 5000 m.{{cite news |title=Justyn Knight aims for competitive run against elite field in potential Olympic preview |last=Harrison |first= Doug |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/summer/trackandfield/justyn-knight-canadians-golden-gala-preview-1.6059762 |access-date=19 August 2021 |publisher=CBC Sports |date=9 June 2021}}
Having missed the Olympic standard for the 2016 Summer Olympics by 1.36 seconds in 2016, Knight entered 2020 focused on securing a place at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He won the gold medal at the Millrose Games in February in the 3000 m distance.{{cite news |title=Canada's Justyn Knight sprints to 3,000-metre win at Millrose Games |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/summer/justyn-knight-julie-anne-staehli-millrose-games-feb-8-1.5457412 |access-date=9 February 2020 |publisher=CBC Sports |date=8 February 2020}} The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the Games being delayed by a full year, and made training for elite athletics more challenging, as he had to work without teammates from March to October 2020 and could not see his family.
In 2021, Knight returned to competition at the 2021 Diamond League's Golden Gala in Florence, Italy. He finished with a time of 12:51.93, shaving almost twenty seconds off his prior best and running below thirteen minutes in the 5000 m distance for the first time. This was the second-fastest time ever recorded for a North American, behind only compatriot Mohammed Ahmed. Knight was named to the Canadian Olympic team and finished seventh in the 5000 m event. His time of 13:04.38 was an improvement of more than 22 seconds on his prior World Championships appearance. Ahmed won the silver medal on the same day.{{cite news|last=Harrison |first=Doug |title=Moh Ahmed wins his 1st Olympic track medal, earning silver for Canada in men's 5,000m|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/summer/trackandfield/track/olympics-track-and-field-roundup-aug-6-1.6131871|work=CBC Sports|date=August 6, 2021|access-date=August 19, 2021}}
Knight withdrew from the 2022 Canadian track and field championships, citing the need to manage an Achilles tendon injury in advance of the 2022 World Athletics Championships.{{cite news |title=Damian Warner withdraws from this week's track and field nationals with sore knee|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/summer/trackandfield/damian-warner-withdrawal-canadian-championship-knee-injury-1.6494866 |last=Harrison |first=Doug |website=CBC Sports |date=June 20, 2022}}
In August 2023 Knight joined Nike's Bowerman Track Club.{{Cite web |last=Harrison |first=Doug |date=August 14, 2023 |title=Canada's Justyn Knight signs with renowned Bowerman Track Club while recovering from surgery |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/summer/trackandfield/justyn-knight-bowerman-track-club-injury-recovery-1.6935624 |access-date=August 14, 2023 |website=CBC}}
Achievements
=NCAA results=
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||||||
| colspan="7"|Representing Syracuse Orange{{TFRRS|id=4980320|xc=yes}}. Retrieved on 2017-04-18{{TFRRS|id=5111450}}. Retrieved on 2017-04-18 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University year | ACC Cross Country | NCAA Cross Country | ACC Indoor | NCAA Indoor | ACC Outdoor | NCAA Outdoor |
| Senior (2017–18) | bgcolor=gold|8000: 23:13.0 1st | bgcolor=gold|10,000: 29:00.2 1st | bgcolor=gold|3000: 8:02.57 1st 5000: 13:50.79 1st | bgcolor=gold|3000: 8:05.76 2nd 5000: 14:14.47 1st | bgcolor=gold|5000: 13:58.69 1st 1500: 3:49.34 3rd | bgcolor=silver|5000: 13:55.03 2nd |
| Junior (2016–17) | bgcolor=gold|8000: 22:50.7 1st | bgcolor=silver|10,000: 29:27.3 2nd | bgcolor=gold|3000: 8:05.05 1st 5000: 13:50.27 1st | bgcolor=silver|3000: 7:56.21 2nd | bgcolor=gold|5000: 13:52.38 1st | bgcolor=cc9905|5000: 14:36.23 3rd |
| Sophomore (2015–16) | bgcolor=silver|8000: 23:24.3 2nd | 10,000: 29:46.1 4th | bgcolor=gold|3000: 8:02.68 1st 5000: 14:01.70 1st DMR: 9:36.74 2nd | bgcolor=cc9905|3000: 8:01.85 3rd | bgcolor=cc9905|10,000: 29:46.41 3rd | 5000: 13:40.40 10th |
| Freshman (2014–15) | 8000: 23:30.7 8th | 10,000: 31:53.4 143rd | bgcolor=gold|1500: 3:47.85 1st | 5000: 13:50.96 6th |
=International results=
| {{AchievementTable|Event=yes|class=wikitable style="text-align:center; font-size: 90%;}} |
| style="background:#eee;" colspan="6"|Representing {{CAN}} |
|---|
| rowspan=2|2014
|NACAC Junior Cross Country Championships |5th |6000 m |18:42.64 |
| World Junior Championships
|8th |5000 m |14:08.93 |
| rowspan=2|2015
|bgcolor=gold|1st |7000 m |19:04 |
| World Cross Country Championships
|25th |8000 m |25:22 |
| 2017
|9th |5000 m |
| 2018
|bgcolor=cc9966|3rd |5000 m |
| 2019
|10th |5000 m |
| 2020
|bgcolor=gold|1st |3000 m |7:46.36 |
| 2021
|7th |5000 m |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Justyn Knight}}
- {{World Athletics|14603387}}
- {{Athletics Canada|justyn-knight}}
- {{TFRRS|xc=yes|id=5111450}}
- [http://www.cuse.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=13041&path=mcross Justyn Knight Syracuse University Cross Country profile November 21, 2016]
- [http://www.cuse.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=13453&path=mtrack Justyn Knight Syracuse University Track and Field profile November 21, 2016]
- [http://www.all-athletics.com/node/867525 Justyn Knight at All-Athletics.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161122222726/http://www.all-athletics.com/node/867525 |date=2016-11-22 }}
- {{Team Canada|justyn-knight}}
- {{Olympics.com profile|justyn-knight}}
- {{Olympedia}}
- [https://anchor.fm/cuseconversations/episodes/Chasing-Olympic-Dreams-with-Track-Star-Justyn-Knight-18-e14nkjl Knight on 'Cuse Conversations Podcast in 2021]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knight, Justyn}}
Category:Canadian male long-distance runners
Category:Canadian male middle-distance runners
Category:Canadian people of Barbadian descent
Category:Sportspeople of Barbadian descent
Category:Canadian sportspeople of Jamaican descent
Category:Syracuse Orange men's cross country runners
Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Canada
Category:Track and field athletes from Toronto
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2020 Summer Olympics
Category:Olympic track and field athletes for Canada
Category:NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships winners