A GOLDEN DAY FOR CANADIANS ON THE TRACK
Relay team sets national record in victory
EUGENE, ORE. • Andre De Grasse made quite the return to the track after his withdrawal from the world 200-metre event — a very golden one at that.
Anchoring a team with Aaron Brown, Jerome Blake and Brendon Rodney, the Canadians set a national record and world-leading time of 37.48 seconds en route to gold in the men’s 4x100m relay at the world track and field championships on Saturday.
“(This is) all we talked about — (us) actually having a great shot at being on top of the podium,” De Grasse said.
“This year, I think with a lot of us being more fresh — myself, running like six races and then Brendon coming in for the relay, I think that also helped us. Just being able to practise the relay more and being able to go out there and have that team chemistry.”
The Americans grabbed silver (37.55), while Great Britain claimed bronze (37.83).
The gold was Canada’s third medal of the world championships.
De Grasse, lined up sideby-side with American Marvin Bracy, the silver medallist from the 100m, when receiving their batons, put his stamp on the final with his signature closing speed.
The Markham, Ont., native contracted COVID-19 just a month back and did not qualify for the 100m final before pulling his name out of the 200m competition.
It seemed to do wonders for the 27-year-old, along with what felt like a home crowd cheering the team on.
“It’s special. There’s a lot of Canadian flags out there, a lot of fans cheering us on — it definitely feels good. It’s not technically on home soil but it kind of felt like it.”
De Grasse wasn’t the only one to have been dealing with the effects of COVID-19.
Athletics Canada coach Glenroy Gilbert had to coach the team through Zoom, having contracted the virus himself recently.
Despite all that’s happened, continuity and team chemistry has become the name of the game for the Canadian squad.
“We’ve run together at the Olympics last year — we have the same team. This year, with our head coach going down. It was one of those things where we trust ourselves and open the marks up a little bit and give us some wiggle room to work with,” Blake said.
“That was the most important thing — to just get the stick moving. Once we have the stick moving, (it) doesn’t slow down.”
The victory also comes after some near misses by Canada’s team.
Canada earned silver at last summer’s Tokyo Olympics and bronze in Rio in 2016, plus bronze at the 2015 worlds in Beijing. Canada didn’t make the final at the last worlds in 2019 in Doha, Qatar.
Marco Arop continues his immense rise in the men’s 800m ranks.
The Edmonton native earned his first world championship medal with a bronze on Saturday. For the 23-year-old, ranked fourth in the world, it was a full circle moment.
“This will hold a special place in my heart. First world championship medal — it all comes full circle,” Arop said. “Starting from Doha world champs and making the final, not placing top three and not making the Olympic final.
“It’s just a great moment.” Arop is just the second Canadian man to medal in the race at worlds. Gary Reed won silver in 2007 in Osaka, Japan.
Canadian Olympic bronze medallist Evan Dunfee says he’s come to love climbing medal podiums.
But after battling both a hamstring injury and mental health issues this season, the 31-year-old from Richmond, B.C., was pleased with his sixth-place performance in the 35-kilometre race walk Sunday at the world track and field championships.
“To come away with sixth after the year it’s been ... it’s been a struggle for me this year, it’s been physically and emotionally and mentally a little bit tough,” Dunfee said. “So to get sixth, I’m thrilled with this.”
Dunfee, who sat around 12th place for much of the race before moving up through the final few kilometres, crossed in two hours 25 minutes two seconds.
Italy’s Massimo Stano took the gold in 2:23.14. Japan’s Masatora Kawano was second in 2:23.15, while Sweden’s Perseus Kalstrom won the bronze (2:23.44).
Dunfee captured bronze both at last summer’s Tokyo Olympics and the 2019 world championships in Doha.
“I got used to the podium,” Dunfee said with a laugh. “It’s always disappointing to not be on there. Not disappointing, disappointing’s the wrong word. But, it’s something that, as much as I told myself — and I am really proud of this race — but you’re still like, ah, that podium’s fun to stand on.
“But no, I think today was a really good race.”
IT’S SPECIAL. THERE’S A LOT OF CANADIAN FLAGS OUT THERE ... IT DEFINITELY FEELS GOOD.