Concordia Stinger wrestler Jordan Steen has been selected to represent Canada in the 84 kg men’s freestyle event at the 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan, Russia.
Steen, a native of Windsor, Ont., was a gold medallist at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) championship last March. He was named the CIS rookie of the year at the competition. Steen was also named the Concordia male rookie of the year at the annual Stingers athletic banquet last April.
In his rookie season, Steen won seven university tournaments, the Atlantic University Sport championship and the CIS title. He had a perfect 24-0 win-loss record.
Steen’s event is scheduled for July 11 at the Universiade.
Wrestling returns to the world university games for the first time since 2005 in Izmir, Turkey, when female wrestlers made their Universiade debut. Male student-athletes had previously competed in the sport in 1973 (Moscow), 1977 (Sofia, Bulgaria) and 1981 (Bucharest, Romania).
Concordia Stinger Clark Davis, who claimed freestyle silver at 90 kilograms in 1981, remains the lone male wrestler to win a Universiade medal for Canada.
The Canadian men’s lineup includes Steven Takahashi of London, Ont. (55 kg), Mike Asselstine of Edmonton (60 kg), Brian Hutton of Calgary (66 kg), Shawn Daye-Finley of Halifax (74 kg) and Steen.
The Summer Universiade is an international multi-sport event that takes place every two years and is second only to the Olympic Games in the number of participating athletes and countries. It is open to competitors who are at least 17 and less than 28 years of age as of Jan. 1 in the year of the Games. Participants must be full-time students at a post-secondary institution or have graduated in the year preceding the event.
