BY EDDI EPELLS
Tokyo – Maybe it wasn’t too difficult to find the next sprint star in the world.
He was Canadian Andre De Grasse, who ran his first sprint in buggy basketball shorts as a teenager and borrowed spikes. He is currently winning the Olympic gold medal over 200 meters.
Degras passed two Americans, Kenny Bednarek and his favorite Noah Lyles, to finish in 19.62 seconds on August 4th and won one of Usain Bolt’s titles in the last three Olympics.
It ended a series of close calls at age 26 and filled a collection of medals that was short of money. De Grasse won the bronze medal four nights ago 100 years ago, taking third place that he won at the event in Rio de Janeiro.
Given all that he had been through, it was no surprise when he revealed that he was crying behind the bronze he wore for the race, or that they were gold. ..
“It’s the first time I’ve been so emotional on a truck,” said De Grasse. “I always thought I couldn’t win the bronze and silver medals, so it’s good to win that gold medal. Nobody can rob me of that. “
The most memorable of De Grasse’s near misses was when he won the 200m silver medal in Rio in 2016 and had the courage to play with Bolt.
In the semifinals, the two went far beyond the field and were able to win medals without any problems. However, De Grasse repeatedly pushed for the instruction of his coach, who no longer wanted to make champions. It forced Bolt to override things.
Bolt won the race but playfully shook his finger with De Grasse. The moment went viral and Bolt claimed he wasn’t happy. He returned to blow De Grasse for nearly a quarter of a second in the final, but the champion suggested that extra energy didn’t help in his futile attempt to reset the world record of 19.19. ..
“I’m back in the final and I was gassed and tired,” said De Grasse. “I turned on my side and said I had to finish second. I can’t catch it. “
Douglas learned the lesson and said he’s only been stronger and healthier since Bolt left the scene. Meanwhile, the world is looking for someone to replace the former champion at a marquee track event.
On August 1st, Italian sprinter Marcell Jacobs won 100 out of nowhere, leaving Degras at a distance usually considered his second best distance.
But eventually De Grasse won the award. Since 2015 he has won two silver medals and six bronze medals at Olympic and World Championships and is his first gold at a major event.
“It’s tenacity,” said Damian Warner, a decathlon leader who paused near the track to watch his Canadian teammates win. “He had to play Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake and all those tough rivals, so he doesn’t choke or lose in the final. He’s really great. I lose to the athlete. “
This time he hit a few. In particular, he defeated Lyles, the 200-meter world champion who was on the difficult path to the Tokyo Olympics. He spoke openly about mental health problems and the fear of coming to the tournament without his brother Josephs, who is also a sprinter but couldn’t qualify.
At some point that summer, Lyles appeared to be headed for a 100-200 double attempt. But his 100 attempts at the Olympics were messed up, and his best race of the season was the 200 final in Eugene, Oregon.
Lyles made a mistake in the August 3 semifinals, slowing too far from the line and being pushed to two automatic places in the heat to see if his time would get him a qualifying spot. I have been waiting for you.
It did, but it sacrificed him in the final. Lyles, forced to start in Lane 3, pushed out too quickly. He had a head start on the home stretch, but didn’t know it.
“Unfortunately I couldn’t meet anyone and I ran for my life,” Lyles said. “I thought I was behind. I had the feeling that I was chasing after. “
No. De Grasse was out hunting. And catch. And finally you win. He is Canada’s first sprint gold medalist since Donovan Bailey won the 100 at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
The other gold medals on the sixth day of the Olympic track went to:
• Hammer throw Wojciech Nowicki gave Poland a men’s and women’s victory.
• 800 years of Emmanuel Coryl, followed by Kenyan team-mate Ferguson Rotich.
• Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai in the women’s obstacle course.
• And Sydney McLaughlin of the United States who set a world record (51.46) and defeated Dalilah Muhammad in a race that responded to the hype.
Allyson Felix made it to the 400m final, but nine Olympic champions admitted they didn’t.
“You get older,” said 35-year-old Felix.
De Grasse has suffered injuries and setbacks practically every year since his close phone call in Rio. He admits he was wondering if he could reach the top steps of the podium.
“It’s definitely worth the wait,” he said.
It’s a great feat for a quirky and orbiting one-time point guard. On a high school bus, he met a friend who challenged him to come out in the truck. De Grasse thought he might beat his mate, so he went out in basketball shorts, started standing up and finished on 9/10.
On that day, Olympic bronze medalist Tony Sharpe was sitting in a grandstand looking for new talent. He saw the race and said, “Who is this guy?”
It was 2012.
It’s 2021 and nobody asks anymore.
