Dave Steen
David Lee “Dave” Steen was born November 14, 1959, in New Westminster, B.C.
He was a three-time member of the Canadian Summer Olympic Team competing in Decathlon. Mr. Steen resides in Tecumseh, Ontario and works in Windsor as a firefighter.
In 1982 Steen competed in the Commonwealth Games, winning a silver medal. He then won gold at the World University Games, another gold at the Pan American Games (1983), gold at the Pan Pacific Games (1984), and silver for the Decathlon at the Commonwealth Games (1986). In addition, Dave Steen set three world records in the Pentathlon in 1983, 1984 and 1986. Dave finished eighth at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in Decathlon. He improved his score at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul winning a bronze medal, which was the first Olympic Medal for a Canadian in the Decathlon. Steen retired from competition following the Seoul Olympics, ending a brilliant thirteen-year career.
Steen never used performance-enhancing drugs, and after his retirement, he became involved in promoting the anti-drug campaign. He was an Athletic Ambassador for the National Commission for Fair Play, and worked with Ontario Police to produce an Anti-Drug poster aimed at school children. He was also a major contributor to the “Athlete and Coaches Anti-Doping Handbook” and “Steroids and Doping in Sports: a reference handbook” by David E. Newton.
Steen was named Ontario Athlete of the Year in 1988, and in 1990 he was made a Member of the Order of Canada. He was inducted into the British Columbia Sports Hall Of Fame in 1991 and into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.
Sources:
“Dave Steen”. SR/Olympics. Web. Accessed 7 March 2018.
The Canadian Olympic Commitee. “Decathlon bronze for Steen in Seoul.” Canadian Olympic Team Official Website. 29 September 2013. Web. Accessed 7 March 2018.
“Dave Steen (decathlete).” Omics International . Web. Accessed 7 March 2018.