Louis Christ

Athlete (2005)

Track & Field

Louis was a specialist at 800 metres, 1,500 metres and in the distance relays while running for the Saskatoon Track and Field Club and the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. He was twice a gold medallist at the CIAU championships.

Louis was born in Saskatoon in 1959 and seemed to run well as a child. His first venture into organized sports was in hockey and he tried his hand at soccer as well.

Louis began his running career with Evan Hardy Collegiate in 1972 and joined the Saskatoon Track and Field Club in 1976. He found almost immediate success, breaking the Canadian 800 metre record for under-19 men twice during the 1977 indoor season (ultimately to 1:52.0) and competing in the Canadian Senior Championships in Montreal while still in high school. He enrolled at the University of Saskatchewan in 1977, and was a member of the track and cross-country teams for five years.

The 1978 and 1979 cross-country teams won the Canada West Conference titles and the 1979 team placed 2nd at the Canadian university championships. He and his brother Albert spent the years 1980 to 1982 exchanging Saskatchewan Open titles.

A highlight of the 1980 indoor track season was Louis' selection as Male Athlete of the Meet at the Canada West Championships, partly on the strength of a 1,500 metres victory over Peter Butler of the University of Calgary in an event record time, which stood for almost 20 years. Strong performances at the Junior National Championships in 1978 and the Senior Indoor Championships in 1979 and 1980 led to his selection to Canadian teams for dual meets against France, the USSR and Belgium.

Louis capped a strong indoor season in 1981 with a gold in the 1,500 metres and bronze in the 1,000 metres at the CIAU championships where he also anchored the distance medley relay team, with Brian Jones, Lester Linnell and Tom Harrison to a gold medal. In university championship meets he won a total of eight gold, five silver and two bronze medals, and a further four silver and four bronze at Canadian open championships.

Louis won the Howard Nixon Trophy as best male athlete in an individual sport at the University of Saskatchewan in 1980 and the Rusty Macdonald Trophy for sportsmanship combined with excellence in athletics and academics in 1982.

He was named Saskatchewan Athlete of the Meet at the Knights of Columbus Indoor Games in 1978 and shared the honour with Ben Daku in 1980. He broke a number of Saskatchewan records in the 800 metres, 1,500 metres, 1 mile and 2-mile events during his career. In 1981, he lowered his personal best in the 1,500 metres to a new Saskatchewan record of 3:45.14, a mark he lowered to 3:44.50 in 1983.