SPRINTER DE GRASSE FINALLY BACK ON TRACK

It’s been nine months since Andre De Grasse folded his frame into the starting blocks. The 23-year-old from Markham, Ont., finally makes his competitive return Saturday when he runs the 100 metres at the Drake Relays, his first race since a 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, pictured, 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. 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.”