Toronto’s Justyn Knight hasn’t raced in more than 1,000 days. His last race was in the men’s 5,000m final at Tokyo 2020, where he finished seventh in 13:04.38, telling Canadian track and field fans that this was just the beginning. His Olympic final marked the start of a three-year struggle with an Achilles injury, which is now keeping him out of the 2024 Canadian Olympic trials and the Paris Olympics.
Several sources close to Knight told Canadian Running he has faced multiple setbacks since joining Oregon-based Bowerman TC last fall, and has been coming to terms with not representing Team Canada in Paris.
Last June, Knight underwent surgery for a partially torn left Achilles tendon, which connects the calf muscles to the heel bone. He began running again during the winter, but had some setbacks that delayed his comeback to professional track and field.
The 27-year-old is the second fastest Canadian man in history over 5,000m, boasting a personal best of 12:51.93 from 2021. His Tokyo 2020 teammate and Bowerman TC training partner, Moh Ahmed, is the only Canadian man who’s run faster (12:47.20).
Knight’s journey began in the NCAA, where he emerged as one of Canada’s most talented distance runners. He won two individual NCAA titles (5,000m indoors and men’s XC) while competing for Syracuse University. After graduating in 2018, he signed a professional contract with Reebok Boston TC, guided by his university coach, Chris Fox.
Knight’s transition to the professional scene wasn’t smooth. He faced injury setbacks and the challenges of being far from his friends and family. The Reebok Boston TC group disbanded in 2021, and an Achilles tendon injury sidelined Knight in 2022, causing him to miss the Canadian Track and Field Championships and the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Ore.
In 2023, Knight parted ways with his previous agency, Flynn Sports Management, and joined forces with Jos Hermens of Global Sports Communication, signing with Bowerman TC, where he reunited with his compatriot Ahmed.
We reached out to Knight for a comment, but he had not responded at the time of publication.
