Steven Bastien is a decathlete from Metro Detroit and is gearing up for his Olympic debut.
At the Olympic trials, Bastien crossed the finish line of his final event in the decathlon to a roaring crowd.
“I almost am thankful for the fact that I’ve had to do it on my own and definitely, I’ve had support still, like, without my wife and stuff helping me -- You can’t pull them all by yourself,” Bastien said.
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Bastien often trains on his own at the University of Michigan. He is grateful for guidance from his former Wolverine coach Jerry Clayton and his family, and especially his wife Kiley Bastien.
“What he’s done is even more impressive because of how he’s done it. He has spent, like, so the countless hours just alone doing track. He’s put so much energy into this for not just the past year, but the past five years,” Kiley Bastien said.
Which is impressive because of what the event itself entails. A decathlon is an event that takes place over two days. Each competitor takes part in the same ten events: 100-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400-meter dash, 110-meter hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, and 1,500-meter run.
Steven Bastien was introduced to the sport because his father did it.
“I had a moment, like, we had crossed the finish line and then I walked sort of around the curve and I saw my dad. And, yes, something about that felt really cool,” Steven Bastien said.