Q & A With Saline's Olympic Hero

Saline’s Olympic hero placed 10 out of 24 in the Decathlon section of the Tokyo Olympics this year. Now that he is back in the United States, Steven Bastien spoke with the Sun Times News about his experience in Tokyo and his plans for 2024.

The following conversation was conducted over the phone and has been edited for length and clarity.

The Sun Times News: What did it feel like, when you got the final confirmation that you were going to Tokyo?

Steven Bastien: It felt really good. All the hard work that goes into getting to a place like this, and even the circumstances that are beyond your control … where I was able to perform, and my body felt good when it mattered most was really awesome, and a dream come true.

TSTN:
Were you nervous, going into Tokyo?

Bastien: I wouldn’t say I was any more nervous than a normal meet. I can’t really explain why that was. I’ve had situations like that in the past when I go to the next level, it’s a little more nerve wracking. But it’s just the experience that I’ve had up to this point [but] it felt pretty much the same to me for some reason.

TSTN:
Why did you choose your particular sport?

Bastien: My dad did the decathlon as well, so I was introduced to a lot of the events at a pretty young age. I just enjoyed being at the track, enjoyed the game of going against a bar, or trying to jump farther or run faster then I had previously. I just took to it and enjoyed it, so, in a way, it just sort of happened naturally. I started young and just kept going.

I didn’t start doing decathlons. …. I think my first one was in ninth grade. I did do an abbreviated multi-event starting in fifth grade. … But I was always just tinkering with track stuff growing up.

TSTN:
There is always going to be the type of person who’s just a natural runner. Is that the kind of person that you are?

Bastien: I’d say that I’m definitely a more natural runner. Just from in the past, even if I [have dealt with] injury issues and I wasn’t able to practice as much, I’d always be able to run pretty close to my good times if it mattered, regardless of how much I had been training. Running has always come naturally to me.

TSTN:
How did you prepare right before you went to compete?

Bastien: Right before going into the stadium [I] tried to just get mentally ready to compete at the highest level, be in the moment, enjoy myself and compete to the best of my abilities.

TSTN:
What was it about the actual competition that surprised you? Challenged you? Delighted you?

Bastien: We definitely got less time than usual for our warm ups. Especially in the throwing events, [it was] sub-optimal to what I’m used to. … It wasn’t structured the way I was used to and that was challenging.

The other thing is that there was a big gap in the day between the first three events, and two more events. We’d have a big gap in between that made the days a lot longer. I didn’t get as much sleep as I was accustomed to, so that was also kind of challenging.

The whole experience was really awesome. It was just super cool to compete with all of those athletes, and to be able to call myself an Olympian.

TSTN:
Has that sunk in, or is it still weird to hear yourself say out loud that you’re an Olympian?

Bastien: I think its sunk in. But there was actually something on Instagram that a lady posted. I don’t necessarily feel this way, but I see how someone does. Some people feel sort of sad after its done. I don’t feel sad at all, but you know how there’s a big lead up to Christmas? Christmas comes and goes and then it’s done. I have a feeling somewhat like that. Its already happened and went.

TSTN:
Which of the four parts of the decathlon do you think you did best at?

Bastien: I’m happy with how I competed in 400 [meter run and the] high jump. I was kind of upset with pole vault. One of my poles broke and that was kind of upsetting because I wasn’t allowed to jump as high as I wanted to.

My hand got kind of messed up when it happened.

Overall, I was happy with how I competed. I’d say the event I was most pleased with was the high jump.

TSTN:
What was it like to compete with Covid restrictions?

Bastien: I think in one respect it was strange and maybe not what you’d normally experience. We might have missed out on something that might have been cool. But in another aspect [it allowed us] to appreciate something in a more pure way. Because it was more quiet and that there weren’t fans, I think that it gave a different flavor to the whole competition. It probably just gave us a different lens if you will, into the whole competition and how we interpreted it.

TSTN:
Where you nervous or fatigued?

Bastien: I think after the trials, I didn’t do a good job of letting my nervous system calm down. I was amped up for a little bit too long after that meet. I don’t think I had the best recovery between the Olympic Trials and the Olympics. So, going into the Olympics, my body was just still tired. I kept dealing with little aches and pains. I was apprehensive to start the meet both days, just because my body was so sore. Until I got rolling, I didn’t feel as confident to tackle the first event of the day.

TSTN:
What has the town response been like?

Bastien: I’ve had nothing but support from my friends, family and former coaches. Everyone’s been super happy for me and has shared their congratulations. I was glad to be able to share that with people I grew up doing the sport with.

TSTN:
What are your plans for 2024?

Bastien: I’m going to compete for the next Olympics, to try to go again and see if I can’t … to add a major championship; [then] to try and medal. I think that’s definitely possible and I’m excited to keep chipping away at all of the events and try to get a little bit better.

TSTN:
Did you have fun in Tokyo?

Bastien: I definitely had fun. Obviously, the meet could have gone a little bit better. But it’s the second best score I ever did. My body didn’t feel the best going into the meet. But once the meet got going and I got that confidence, I did my best to just soak it all in and enjoy it.

Image Credit - Coriney White, www.runnersworld.com