Regina’s Jon Podbielski pulls off middle-distance double at Canadian championships
The 19-year-old won gold in the U20 800m and 1,500m just 24 hours apart, on only one hour of sleep
Photo by:
Murielle Aglot (@maglot)
Confidence comes naturally for Regina native Jon Podbielski. In his first Canadian Track and Field Championships, the 19-year-old pulled off an impressive middle-distance double, winning gold in the U20 800m and 1,500m races, just 24 hours apart.
Podbielski wasn’t the favourite to win either race, but he bet on himself and told his coach, Steve Davis, that his goal was to leave Langley, B.C., with two gold medals.
His quest for double gold began on Friday night in the U20 1,500m prelim, where he placed second in his heat to qualify for Saturday’s final. Only 12 hours later, he secured the top qualifying spot in the U20 men’s 800m prelims, winning his heat in 1:52.90. That evening, Podbielski displayed his magic in the 1,500m final, finishing with a 55-second final lap to beat pre-race favourite Riley Flemington of Oakville, Ont., flexing his arms across the finish line in 3:49.62.
“I couldn’t believe my win at first,” says Podbielski. “I had no idea I could close like that. Riley is an unbelievable athlete, and I felt like the underdog coming in.”
Despite it being his first Canadian championships, Podbielski raced like a seasoned veteran, and credits running in Saskatchewan for his championship success. “At every race in Saskatchewan, you’re always competing against the same guys,” Podbielski laughs. “You know their style and what to expect.”
Podbielski stuck to the plan he and his coach drew up. “We watched several of Flemington’s past races and noticed he tended to be more conservative, but stayed up near the front,” says Podbielski. “The plan was to sit on his heels and go after him down the home stretch.
“I knew I had the kick left and wanted to swing around him on the corner,” Podbielski adds. “I started to feel lactic once I passed him, but I managed to hold him off.” Flemington finished second with a time of 3:49.80 for silver, while Dylan Ferri (also of Oakville) won bronze in 3:51.85.
Even though Podbielski had the U20 800m finals the following morning, he admitted to sleeping for only an hour on Saturday night. “I couldn’t stop thinking about the win and what I had accomplished,” says Podbielski, reflecting on his first U20 national title. “I think the confidence boost helped for the 800m final; I wasn’t scared.”
With just one hour of sleep, Podbielski showed up for the final, and did not disappoint. He maintained a 50-metre lead into the finishing straightaway and pointed at the crowd as he sprinted to the remarkable middle-distance double in 1:50.71.
After his double victory, Podbielski faced some online backlash, with some fans calling his celebrations “cocky” and “arrogant.” When asked about his celebrations, he emphasized that it’s all fun and games and believes it adds personality to the sport.
“The celebration was spontaneous; it wasn’t planned,” Podbielski laughs. “But maybe I’ll add the point or the flexing celebration permanently, although my mom might not be too happy about that.”
Podbielski plans to “rest his legs” and take the next two weeks off training before returning to the University of Regina for his second season on the school’s cross-country team this fall.
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