LEAP OF JOY
TRACK AND FIELD: In dominant fashion, Canadian upgrades 2012 bronze medal
Canada’s Derek Drouin lands in the winner’s circle with gold in men’s high jump
He felt it before he ever got to Olympic Stadium Tuesday night. Maybe it was a couple of days ago. Derek Drouin couldn’t pin down the time exactly. But it was almost an epiphany of sorts for the new Canadian star.
He knew something was right. He stopped being nervous. He stopped worrying about where he would finish at the Olympic Games in high jump. Somehow he just knew that there would be greatness from the high jump.
And on a night of calmness and history, Canada has its third gold medal of the Summer Olympics, its first at the track in 20 years. It was no miracle. It was no fluke. It wasn’t even unexpected. But it was clinical and oh so efficient.
“The last couple of days, I’ve been feeling so confident,” said Drouin. “I said I don’t think I’m going to have to exhale. I was still going to be hungry to win.”
A while back, all he wanted was to be on the podium. For the last few days, he felt it, and knew it, that somehow gold would be his.
Drouin was almost calmly perfect on the way to victory at a rather empty Olympic Stadium. From his first jump to his last, he looked different than the other 14 high jumpers, more composed, more at peace with himself: If he had any nervousness at all, he didn’t show it. And now, he is one of them: A Canadian historical figure. A name to remember forever.
The last two track gold medals came in Atlanta 20 years ago, with Donovan Bailey being part of both. Gold doesn’t come easily for this country in any sport. For track, considering the number of events, it almost comes less often. There wasn’t a gold medal winner in London when Drouin won bronze. There wasn’t a gold medal winner in Athens or Sydney or Seoul or Los Angeles or Montreal and from there you can keep counting backwards.
Derek Drouin of tiny Corunna, Ont., population 14,515, has an Olympic champion to call its own. A kid who grew up idolizing Olympians before he ever knew he would be one. When Bailey won Canada’s last track gold, Drouin was six years old. But he has always seemed to know who he was: And how much he wanted it, even if he kept his inner desires mostly to himself.
“I was definitely gunning for the big one,” he said, meaning gold. “I wouldn’t say I felt a lot of pressure.” And something happened the past few days that got him ready, mentally to win. “I just love the Olympics and just taking in the whole moment, and to be so excited to be here.”
He never struggled with the six jumps that won him gold. He cleared easily at 2.20 metres. The heights of 2.25 and 2.29 didn’t seem to phase him. No different at 2.33 or 2.36. Five straight jumps without a miss.
And as the field lessened from 15 to just three, the medallists were identified. Drouin knew what colour he wanted. He cleared at 2.38, putting the pressure on the silver and bronze medal winners. He didn’t have to make another jump after that — but tried and failed just once for the Olympic record.
He could have taken two more turns, which his coach would have liked, but he thought, I’ve won this thing, why bother continuing.
The calmness turned to excitement once he had clinched gold. Finally. He wanted to run to his parents and those here to see him the way he did in London but they weren’t in a place where he could easily run.
“There’s no better feeling than having the people (here) that have been behind you since Day 1, to take in that moment. Four years ago it was similar, right on the rail. We were able to go up and give up a big hug. Nowhere in the stadium could you do that. It will be an exciting moment when I see them.”
The celebration came after the two-hour calm that led to gold. There was never any doubt in his face.
But after a performance like this one, you can only stay calm for so long. ssimmons@postmedia.com twitter.com/simmonssteve