Volleyball vagabond Blankenau fifth in second Olympics
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While Kelsey Mitchell returned home with a gold medal around her neck in her Olympic debut, another Sherwood Park product was once again kept off the podium.
It was largely the same for 31-year-old Sherwood Park product Jay Blankenau at the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games as it was at his first go around five years earlier in Rio in 2016. Blankenau and the Canadian men’s volleyball team finished fifth in Brazil and that’s where they ended up again in Japan, despite valid hopes of improving their standing this time around.
“In the end, we were disappointed,” said Blankenau, a setter. “We were hoping for more before the tournament. We just didn’t get it done in the important matches for us to change the result. We needed to play better in the quarterfinal and there were a couple of pool games we didn’t finish at the start of the tournament that kind of affected our cross-over. We were up 2-0 on Italy and then lost in five, you have to put those games away. Japan was a team that we can beat as well. It was a little frustrating. If you take care of those early games when you have the chance, then maybe you are looking at something different in the cross-over than facing such a strong team like Russia. It’s just too bad we didn’t play well at the start.”
Blankenau wishes he had been called on more often to help the team get over the hump.
“I would have liked to have contributed more, but the coach made his decision on who was going to be the starter and I just tried to help when I could,” he said. “I think I did alright when I had the chance. I am happy with how I did, I just wish I could have contributed more.”
With the next Olympics in Paris just three years away in the wake of the delayed Tokyo Games, Blankenau will still be young enough that he could be considered to make a third Olympic appearance should Canada once again qualify.
“I’m going to take a little time to make sure that is the run I want to go on, but I still want to be part of the program, so we’ll see,” he said. “It’s pretty short though, Next summer is the Worlds and the summer after that will already be the qualifier. It will go fast. If you buy in now, you can make it to the end. I still need to think about it a bit, but most likely I will be a part of it.”
There was a big difference between being at the Games in Rio to going to play in a pandemic-plagued event in Japan with no fans present.
“It wasn’t so different in the village, but for the most part it just felt like another tournament for us,” he said. “It was just eat, sleep and hang out with the team because you couldn’t really socialize that much, they were trying to keep us pretty separate. In Rio there was more talking with other athletes and watching other sports. This time it was more one-dimensional. It was less social than Rio, but still a big event and pretty amazing that they were even able to run the Games during these times. You have to be grateful for that. I still felt like I was in an Olympics, especially with all the messages and support from family and friends back home. The volunteers were amazing and you would see some of the more famous athletes walking around, which was cool. Now that they are done, it’s pretty special to have been there. While you are there, all you can think of is trying to win a medal, but I will look back at this as a positive experience, for sure.”
Of course the burning question — what did he think of the cardboard beds?
“Actually, they were fine,” he said. “I know a lot of people were talking about them, but we had four or five of us sitting chatting on one of the beds one day and the bed was fine. A little bit skinny, but alright.”
Blankenau played in high school for the Bev Facey Falcons and for four years on Team Alberta before heading south to Mount Royal University and helping the Calgary-based college win the 2008 CCAA Championship.
After being named a CCAA All-Canadian with Mount Royal, Blankenau transferred to the University of Calgary in 2010. At that year’s CIS Championships, the Dinos emerged as national champs.
Since graduating to a pro career, Blankenau has been something of a volleyball vagabond, having played for teams in Greece, the Netherlands (champions), Belgium (two-time champions) and in Turkey, with plans in place to head to Warsaw, Poland for next season.
“You are just trying to find the best contracts, which are usually for one or two years,” he said. “The leagues I started in aren’t as strong as the ones I have been playing in of late, and Poland is another step up for me. Each contract has been better and in a stronger league, so no complaints there. The hardest part is being away from family and friends so much, but playing pro sports is still a dream come true.”
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