Mike Smith (decathlete)
Canadian decathlete (born 1967)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michael Cameron "Mike" Smith (born September 16, 1967) is a Canadian decathlete from Kenora, Ontario.
Smith running the 400 metres, 1997 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Michael Cameron Smith | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | September 16, 1967 Kenora, Ontario, Canada | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 195 cm (6 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 98 kg (216 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Track | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Event | Decathlon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal bests | Decathlon: 8626, Gotzis, 1996 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Biography
Decathlete Mike Smith attended Pinecrest Elementary School, Lakewood Intermediate School, and Beaver Brae Secondary School, then completed his final year of high school at Central Technical School in Toronto, Canada.
Smith attended the University of Toronto Commerce program during his athletic career. He was coached by Andy Higgins while living in Toronto, and then by Les Gramantik when he moved to live and train in Calgary, Alberta in 1994.
Smith won a silver medal at the World Junior Track and Field Championships in 1986. At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, he placed 14th. At the 1990 Commonwealth Games Smith won a gold medal. He was the silver medal winner at the 1991 World Track and Field Championships, and was the first North American to win the Götzis International Decathlon, which he won again in 1996.
At the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, Smith was the opening ceremonies flag bearer for Canada at the Olympics. Unfortunately, during the decathlon, Smith pulled a hamstring and was forced to withdraw on the first day of the two-day competition. In 1994, he won gold at the Commonwealth Games for the second time.
Smith was ranked among the top ten decathletes in the world for ten years in a row, from 1989 to 1998, with his highest rankings being #2 in the world in 1991 and #3 in the world in 1995.
Personal Best Performances
Smith held the Canadian Record in the decathlon, with a total of 8626 points set in Gotzis Austria in 1996. Smith's record was broken by Damian Warner, with a total of 8659 points, at the 2015 Pan American Games.
The sum of Mike Smith's overall personal bests in the individual disciplines of decathlon totals 9,362 points (the third best ever after Ashton Eaton & Dan O'Brien).[1]
Day 1: 100 metres - 10.70 seconds, Long Jump - 7.76 metres, Shot Put - 18.03 metres, High Jump - 2.14 metres, 400 meters - 47.06 seconds
Day 2: 110 metre hurdles - 14.24 seconds, Discus Throw - 52.90 metres, Pole Vault - 5.20 metres, Javelin Throw - 71.22 metres, 1500 metres - 4:20,04
Total: 9362 points
Smith still holds the world's best performance for the 3 combined throwing events in decathlon (shot put, discus, javelin).
| World Ranking | Decathlete | Nation | Points | Shot Put | Discus | Javelin | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Smith | CAN | 2748 | 16.94m | 52.90m | 71.22m | Götzis | 26.05.96 |
| 2 | Bryan Clay | USA | 2734 | 16.25m | 53.68m | 72.00m | Helsinki | 10.08.05 |
| 3 | William Motti | FRA | 2595 | 16.96m | 52.46m | 68.20m | Emmitsburg | 29.09.91 |
Mike Smith retired from the sport of decathlon in 1999, commencing a career in financial services and wealth management.
He has also worked for CBC Television Sports and CTV Television as a colour commentator for track and field events. He received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Sports Analyst at the 10th Canadian Screen Awards as a commentator for CBC Television's coverage of the 2020 Summer Olympics.[2]
