Olympics: Canada's De Grasse wins men's 200m gold
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Andre De Grasse celebrates after winning gold on Aug 4, 2021.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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TOKYO (AFP, Reuters) - After years of finishing among the minor medals, Canada's Andre De Grasse got his gold on Wednesday (Aug 4), winning the Olympic men's 200 metres with a scorching time of 19.62 seconds that made him the eighth-fastest man ever over the distance.
De Grasse, who claimed the 100m bronze and 200m silver at the 2016 Games and 2019 World Championships, finally fulfilled his potential under the clear night sky at Tokyo's Olympic Stadium.
"I've been through so much these last five years on and off the track," he said, referring to his lingering hamstring problem after the last Games in Rio de Janeiro and a severe bout of mononucleosis.
"In 2016 I was a kid and inexperienced but now I have so many expectations to come away with medals, and I wanted to show the world all my injuries are behind me and I can bring home a gold medal."
De Grasse, who claimed the 100m bronze and 200m silver at the 2016 Games and 2019 World Championships, finally fulfilled his potential under the clear night sky at Tokyo's Olympic Stadium.
"I've been through so much these last five years on and off the track," he said, referring to his lingering hamstring problem after the last Games in Rio de Janeiro and a severe bout of mononucleosis.
"In 2016 I was a kid and inexperienced but now I have so many expectations to come away with medals, and I wanted to show the world all my injuries are behind me and I can bring home a gold medal."
The 26-year-old Canadian became the first Olympic 200m champion after Jamaican Usain Bolt, who won gold at three consecutive Olympics from the 2008 Beijing Games before retiring in 2017.
For most of the race, however, it looked like De Grasse would again finish with any medal but gold.
He came into the turn third but seemed to find a higher gear to surge past his American rivals in the last 40 metres and claim victory with a Canadian national record.
"I knew the Americans were going to push me, and they were going to take me to a personal best," he said. "It's been five years since I had a personal best, so it was just good to get that finally out the way."
For most of the race, however, it looked like De Grasse would again finish with any medal but gold.
He came into the turn third but seemed to find a higher gear to surge past his American rivals in the last 40 metres and claim victory with a Canadian national record.
"I knew the Americans were going to push me, and they were going to take me to a personal best," he said. "It's been five years since I had a personal best, so it was just good to get that finally out the way."
The United States last won this event was in 2004, when they swept the medals, and Noah Lyles had established himself as the world's top 200m sprinter in 2018 by winning all his races over the distance and posting a series of sub-19.7 times.
The world champion, who came to Tokyo with a 2021 world-leading time of 19.74 set in the U.S. trials, appeared poised to end his country's long wait.
But Lyles was also passed by his team mate Kenny Bednarek, who took the silver medal with a time 19.68, and had to settle for bronze in 19.74.
Lyles was not satisfied with the colour of his medal.
"Overall, I felt I gave it my all," he said.
"I suppose, especially running out of lane three, I was very happy when I re-watched the race and I saw that I came off the turn well ahead, that is something I have been working on for a long time, to see it happen was a beautiful sight.
"Unfortunately I couldn't really see anybody so I was really just running for my life."
The world champion, who came to Tokyo with a 2021 world-leading time of 19.74 set in the U.S. trials, appeared poised to end his country's long wait.
But Lyles was also passed by his team mate Kenny Bednarek, who took the silver medal with a time 19.68, and had to settle for bronze in 19.74.
Lyles was not satisfied with the colour of his medal.
"Overall, I felt I gave it my all," he said.
"I suppose, especially running out of lane three, I was very happy when I re-watched the race and I saw that I came off the turn well ahead, that is something I have been working on for a long time, to see it happen was a beautiful sight.
"Unfortunately I couldn't really see anybody so I was really just running for my life."
Bednarek, 22, had arrived in Tokyo in red-hot form after his 19.78 personal best at the U.S. Olympic trials and running in the lane next to De Grasse helped him through.
"It didn't go as planned, my plan was to try and lead the whole race because it's my tournament and I'm one of the best in the world, but unfortunately that is not what happened," he said.
"But I am grateful to come out with a silver medal, I can build off of this in the future."
"It didn't go as planned, my plan was to try and lead the whole race because it's my tournament and I'm one of the best in the world, but unfortunately that is not what happened," he said.
"But I am grateful to come out with a silver medal, I can build off of this in the future."
American Erriyon Knighton, 17, who has taken Bolt's Under-20 world record, missed out on becoming the youngest medallist in a men's athletics event by finishing fourth.
Emmanuel Korir and Ferguson Rotich delivered a Kenyan one-two in the men's 800m to make it four successive golds in the event for the East Africans.
After a steady first 500m Korir forged clear to win in 1:45.06 and become a worthy successor to double champion David Rudisha. Peruth Chemutai became the first Ugandan woman to win an Olympic gold in any sport with a finely-judged performance in the 3,000m steeplechase.
Courtney Frerichs of the United States made a brave run for home with more than two laps to go, but Chemutai bided her time before passing her with 250m left and winning in a national record 9:01.45.
Uganda have won only two other Olympic golds, both in men's athletics, in 1972 and 2012.
Frerichs held on for silver with Hyvin Kiyeng taking bronze for Kenya, who have still yet to earn gold in the four editions of the race.
A day after Karsten Warholm delivered a stunning world record in the men's 400m hurdles event, Sydney McLaughlin took a similarly huge chunk out of her own mark.
After a steady first 500m Korir forged clear to win in 1:45.06 and become a worthy successor to double champion David Rudisha. Peruth Chemutai became the first Ugandan woman to win an Olympic gold in any sport with a finely-judged performance in the 3,000m steeplechase.
Courtney Frerichs of the United States made a brave run for home with more than two laps to go, but Chemutai bided her time before passing her with 250m left and winning in a national record 9:01.45.
Uganda have won only two other Olympic golds, both in men's athletics, in 1972 and 2012.
Frerichs held on for silver with Hyvin Kiyeng taking bronze for Kenya, who have still yet to earn gold in the four editions of the race.
A day after Karsten Warholm delivered a stunning world record in the men's 400m hurdles event, Sydney McLaughlin took a similarly huge chunk out of her own mark.
McLaughlin saw off fellow American Dalilah Muhammad as the super-fast track and new shoe technology continue to make a mockery of historical comparisons. The 21-year-old finished strongly to clock 51.46 seconds, destroying her own 51.90 set at the U.S. trials.
Muhammad, who led coming off the final barrier, was also inside the world record in second in 51.58, with Dutchwoman Femke Bol running a European record of 52.03 for bronze.
Poland's Wojciech Nowicki topped a very consistent set with a personal best 82.52 to win the hammer - a double in the event for the country after Anita Wlodarczyk won a third successive title on Tuesday.
The gruelling nature of the combined events was brought into sharp focus as the world champions in decathlon and heptathlon suffered injuries that ended their involvement.
Britain's Katarina Johnson-Thompson pulled up in the 200m, clutching her calf and Germany's Niklas Kaul left the arena in a wheelchair after suffering an injury in the 400m, the final event of the decathlon's first day.
The Netherlands' Anouk Vetter was the surprise heptathlon leader at the end of day one, ahead of Belgian Noor Vidts and her compatriot and defending champion Nafissatou Thiam.
Canada's Damian Warner had a fantastic start in the 100 metres and long jump and led at the halfway mark from Australian Ash Moloney and another Canadian, Pierce LePage.
Defending champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas and evergreen American Allyson Felix set up another mouth-watering 400m showdown, but with all eight qualifiers going under 50 seconds in the semis, the medals are by no means cut and dried.
Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan progressed safely to the 1,500m final where she will hope to clinch her second gold, having won the 5,000 and eyeing the 10,000 to complete an unprecedented treble.
Muhammad, who led coming off the final barrier, was also inside the world record in second in 51.58, with Dutchwoman Femke Bol running a European record of 52.03 for bronze.
Poland's Wojciech Nowicki topped a very consistent set with a personal best 82.52 to win the hammer - a double in the event for the country after Anita Wlodarczyk won a third successive title on Tuesday.
The gruelling nature of the combined events was brought into sharp focus as the world champions in decathlon and heptathlon suffered injuries that ended their involvement.
Britain's Katarina Johnson-Thompson pulled up in the 200m, clutching her calf and Germany's Niklas Kaul left the arena in a wheelchair after suffering an injury in the 400m, the final event of the decathlon's first day.
The Netherlands' Anouk Vetter was the surprise heptathlon leader at the end of day one, ahead of Belgian Noor Vidts and her compatriot and defending champion Nafissatou Thiam.
Canada's Damian Warner had a fantastic start in the 100 metres and long jump and led at the halfway mark from Australian Ash Moloney and another Canadian, Pierce LePage.
Defending champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas and evergreen American Allyson Felix set up another mouth-watering 400m showdown, but with all eight qualifiers going under 50 seconds in the semis, the medals are by no means cut and dried.
Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan progressed safely to the 1,500m final where she will hope to clinch her second gold, having won the 5,000 and eyeing the 10,000 to complete an unprecedented treble.
