Is best yet to come from De Grasse?
COMMENT: Canadian sprint star might just be warming up in Rio
Andre De Grasse has emphatically made it clear that wants to be the fastest man in the world and he’s showing every sign here in Brazil of being on the right track to do it.
But over the next two days, we’ll get an indication of whether he’s more prolific in the 200 metres or the 100. With a bronze medal already in the bank, De Grasse took care of Step 2 Tuesday by advancing through the heats quickly and comfortably.
On Wednesday, it’s the semifinal followed, if all goes well, by a shot at a second medal and possibly an upgrade in colour in Thursday’s final. While it would be difficult to defeat American Justin Gatlin and Jamaica’s Usain Bolt still seems untouchable, there’s a factor worth remembering with regard to the sizzling young Canadian.
De Grasse has long maintained he believes he is better in the 200 and it’s a race he prefers to the 100, despite so much more glory associated with the latter.
It’s clear the young Canadian from Markham, Ont., is enjoying every minute of living in Bolt’s shadow, but growing in confidence with each race he runs. His 200 heat Tuesday was impressive, but there was much more in the tank.
The rest of the week will be a busy one for De Grasse with the 200-metre final and 4x100-metre relay still to come. But difficult as it is to believe, the best may still be on its way.
Hurdle cleared
Nikkita Holder survived her 100-metre hurdle heat Tuesday to cross the line in 12.92 seconds.
“I need to clean a few things up, not hit a hurdle and get ready for the next race,” said the native of Pickering, Ont. “The body feels awesome. The mind is right.”
Both the body and the mind have felt anything but right given the stress of the last four years. There was a marriage (to 2012 Canadian Olympian Justyn Warner), a divorce (from Warner), the birth of a baby boy (Kaedence), the loss of her biological father to a heart attack and the death of Canadian teammate Daundre Barnaby at a 2015 national team training camp at St. Kits.
“It’s pretty much been hell,” said the 29-year-old Holder, who credits her son for getting her through such a terrible time “But I’m really surprised that I was able to overcome everything that I’ve been able to overcome and still make it to the Olympic team ...
“It amazes me. I’m definitely a strong person. I didn’t realize how strong I was until now.”
Holder advanced to Wednesday’s hurdles semifinals along with Toronto’s Phylicia George, who placed second in her heat in 12.83 seconds.
Going home is Angela Whyte, the last of a generation of great Canadian hurdlers still competing with both Perdita Felicien and Priscilla Lopes-Schliep enjoying retirement.
Whyte is 36, but she was clearly not using age as an excuse for failing to qualify out of the heats with a time of 13.09 seconds.
“I’m disappointed, but at the same time I had hopes for myself, but not any expectations,” said the selfcoached Edmonton product.
Finish lines
The Brazilian fans can be ruthless, especially when one of their own is involved in a competition. They took it to a new level during Tuesday’s pole vault medal ceremony when the crowd lustily booed French silver-medallist Renaud Lavillenie. They only stopped after Brazilian gold-medal winner Thiago Braz da Silva urged them to settle down ... Johnathan Cabral, who was raised in California but races for Canada because his mother is from Quebec, became the first Canadian to qualify for the 110-metre hurdles final since Charles Allen in 2004 ... Surrey’s Christabel Nettey did not advance out of long jump qualifying on Tuesday. Her best jump of 6.37 metres put her a distant 12th in her group. It was a crushing week for Nettey, who won gold at the Pan Am Games last summer in Toronto. Back problems that acted up on her long flight from Toronto to Rio had her off her game.