By: UBC Athletics
Former UBC Thunderbird Mike Mason capped off a great comeback year by finishing eighth in the men’s high jump at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London today.
Mason cleared 2.29 metres with his final attempt at that height. He then missed all three jumps with the bar at 2.33m.
Five men ahead of him in the final standings, including the three athletes who shared the bronze medal, also had 2.29 as their best mark but they all took fewer tries to get over that height. Canadian Derek Drouin (Corunna, ON) was one of the men who tied for the bronze medal.
Mason, who won three NAIA outdoor high jump titles during his time at UBC, has been bothered by injuries since the 2008 Olympics.
He had bone chips in his right ankle for two years and then had surgery only to be hit with scar tissue problems after the operation.
But this year, Mason has seen a return to form. He’s healthy and was re-united with his old coach.
He qualified for the Olympics after hitting the A qualifying standard of 2.31 metres, which is also a personal best, at the Grande Caribbean International Meet in Baie-Mahault, Guadeloupe.
Mason then secured his spot on Team Canada with a second-place finish at the Canadian Track and Field Trials in Calgary on June 30, clearing 2.28m.
Liz Gleadle will get her chance at glory on Thursday, August 8 in the Olympic final of the women’s javelin throw.
Today in the qualification round, Gleadle finished sixth in her group and 11th overall with a best throw of 60.26 metres. It came on her final attempt.
That performance is below the 24 year-old’s personal best of 61.15m, which is also the current Canadian record.
Her effort was just enough to get into the final, which will feature 12 competitors. It will begin at 1 p.m. on Thursday.
