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The Year in Sports: Three national medals for Blake

Competing on the national stage brought out the best in Kelowna’s Jerome Blake in 2017.
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Kelowna’s Jerome Blake won two gold and one silver at the Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg. -Image: Canada Games

Competing on the national stage brought out the best in Kelowna’s Jerome Blake in 2017.

The Rutland Senior Secondary grad sprinted to three medals, including two gold, at the Canada Summer Games in July in Winnipeg.

Blake nosed out Ontario’s Karson Kowalchuk in the 200 metres in a time of 20.87 for his first gold medal of the games.

He then won his second title as a member of B.C.’s men’s 4×400 relay team.

Blake very nearly opened the games with gold as well, but settled for silver in the 100 metres by the slimmest margins—0.002 seonds—to Kowalchuk in a photo finish. Both runners were clocked at 10.38 seconds, a new B.C. Games record.

The Kelowna athlete was thrilled to once again wear B.C. colours on the national stage.

“It’s always a pleasure to represent my province,” Blake said. “It’s always a joy for me to come out here and represent B.C. Everyone from B.C is like family. They support each other no matter what.”

“It’s been a pleasure being here,” Blake added. “The city of Winnipeg and the province of Manitoba have hosted us very well. All of these volunteers leave their homes and families to come out here and help us out.”