Take a bow, Liz Gleadle - BC loves you!
Montreal, Qc. - Liz Gleadle secured her 12th Canadian National Championship in the javelin last night with a mark of 59.52m, over seven meters further than second place at the 2024 Bell Canadian Track and Field Championships.
Gleadle won her first national title in 2004 and now twenty years later she won her last. While she wasn't able to reach the Olympic standard of 64m which she needed to be able to qualify for her fourth Olympic Games, she was able to end her career in such a beautiful way, in front of cheering crowds, friends, family and so many incredible supporters.
Reflecting on her career, Gleadle first picked up a javelin in 2002 during her Grade 8 gym class and later that year she went onto win the Vancouver City Championships with a throw of 17m. In Grade 10 she placed third at the BC High School Championships and won the BC Youth Championships and Canadian Youth Championships. In 2005 she was crowned the BC and Canadian Youth Champion, in addition to making the World Youth Team where she went onto represent Team Canada and break the Canadian Youth Record with a mark of 50.51m.
During her time at university, Gleadle chose to compete in the NAIA for the University of British Columbia, despite full ride offers from NCAA Division I schools. During her time as a Thunderbird she won four NAIA Championships and broke the NAIA record twice. Gleadle went on to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics, placed 5th at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games and in 2015 reset her own Canadian record with a distance of 64.83m. In 2016 she competed at the Rio Olympics, reached the World Championship final in 2017, competed in her third Olympic Games in 2021 in Tokyo and placed 9th at the 2022 World Championships and 5th at the 2022 NACAC Championships.
There are so many more moments, medals and memories in between but above are just some of our favorites. What a career.