1985

1985

A year after the dramatic events in Los Angeles, Olympic rivals Mary Decker Slaney and Lynn Williams contested the women’s mile with Slaney the runaway winner in a Canadian open record of 4:22.30. Williams took second in a Canadian native record 4:29.67, adding the mile to the cache of Canadian marks she also held over 1,000, 3,000 and 5,000 metres. The men’s mile showcased Canadians in the top spots, with Dave Reid outkicking Dave Campbell to win the race followed by Vancouver’s Rob Lonergan.

Masters runner Hugh Clifford shaved 11 seconds off his Canadian over-75 record in the masters mile with a run of 6:57.40, wheelchair racer Diane Rakiecki rewrote her Canadian record over 1,500 metres and Debbie Brill took the high jump with a leap of 1.95 metres. Decathlete Dave Steen of Burnaby won the men’s pole vault in a personal best 5.30 metres – three years later in Seoul Steen would emerge as a Canadian team hero with a bronze medal in the grueling, 10-event decathlon.