FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 27, 2020
Huskie legend Jones Konihowski joins Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame
Huskie Athletics with files from Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame
SASKATOON – Olympian, Pan-American Games medallist, two-time winner of Canada’s Female Athlete of the Year award. Diane Jones Konihowski can now add member of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame to her already long list of achievements after the former Huskie was announced as an inductee in their 2020-21 class on May 27. CANADA’S SPORTS HALL OF FAME CLASS Inducted in a class that includes the likes of Steve Nash and Lorie Kane, Jones Konihowski enrolled at the University of Saskatchewan in 1969 after graduating from nearby Aden Bowman Collegiate. From there Jones Konihowski dominated at the university level, leading the Huskiettes to three conference team titles in five years while also winning 12 individual gold medals and setting new conference marks in four events. While at USask Jones Konihowski represented Canada at the Pacific Conference Games, two World University Games and Munich Olympic Games, where she finished 10th in the pentathlon. A gold medal-winner in pentathlon at the 1975 Pan-Am Games in Mexico City, the 1979 Pan-Am Games in San Juan, Puerto Rico and the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Jones Konihowski achieved the rank of No. 1 in the world in pentathlon. Missing out on the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow due to an international boycott protesting Soviet military action in Afghanistan, Jones Konihowski would compete against all three medalists from Moscow just weeks after the Olympics, defeating them all. Jones Konihowski was chef de mission of the Canadian team at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and is a member of the Order of Canada (1978), Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame and Museum (1980), Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame (1986) and University of Saskatchewan Athletic Wall of Fame (1984). With no certainty regarding crowd size restrictions, travel bans and general safety measures, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame has postponed the Induction celebration to 2021.
