De Grasse back in starting blocks

Canadian sprinter returns from injury today in Iowa

TORONTO — It’s been nine long months since Andre De Grasse folded his sinewy frame into the starting blocks of a race.

The 23-year-old from Markham, Ont., finally makes his competitive return today when he runs the 100 metres at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, his first race since a Grade 2 hamstring strain forced him out of the world track and field championships, and erased his hopes of racing Usain Bolt one last time.

De Grasse is “jumping into the fire a little bit,” choosing Drake as his debut. He’s the headliner of a strong field of six other sub-10-second sprinters, including U.S. Olympian Mike Rodgers.

“it’s going to be interesting for me, usually I start off the season pretty slow, but this meet I thought was pretty special to go to because they haven’t had a 100 metres I think in 13 years,” De Grasse said. “I thought it would be a great early-season start for me because I wanted to get a meet in April before I got to the Diamond League circuit.”

His competitive calendar only ramps up after this weekend. He’ll race the 200 at the Doha Diamond League meet on May 4, then the 100 at the Shanghai Diamond League on May 12. Also on his radar is the NACAC championships Aug. 10-12 in Toronto, where he’d like to “win gold back home. That would be great for me, and bring back memories of the Pan Am Games.”

He’ll line up against American Christian Coleman, who broke the world indoor 60-metre record twice this season, at the Diamond League event July 21-22 in London.

De Grasse seemed on the brink of a strong world championships last summer in London. He was undefeated in the 100 and 200 in the four Diamond League meets leading up to worlds, and ran a sizzling — although windaided — 9.69 seconds in the 100 metres in Stockholm.

Instead, the triple Olympic medallist strained his hamstring doing a relatively light workout a couple of days before the world championships opened.

With no Olympics or worlds this season, De Grasse was able to be patient in his return.