Canada’s fastest sprinter Audrey Leduc’s unconventional path to the Olympics

Audrey Leduc of Gatineau, Que., doesn’t know what’s next and, if all goes to plan, doesn’t want to consider using what will soon be her two degrees from Université Laval.

Unlike many of her Canadian sprinting peers, Leduc, 22, remained in Canada after high school instead of chasing the NCAA dream that many hold in high esteem. With a bachelor’s in psychology from Laval and currently in pursuit of an MBA, the idea of a career in business or academics is on the back burner for now, as she eyes an Olympic berth—and potentially more.

Canada’s fastest woman will take on the nation’s best at the Bell Canadian Olympic Trials on Friday night in Montreal. She is looking to clinch her spot at Paris 2024 (which is all but official), having already run Olympic-standard times in the 100m and 200m.

Audrey Leduc is having quite the season as Canada’s breakout sprinter ahead of Olympic trials and Paris 2024.

Today in Atlanta, she smashed the Canadian women’s 200m record, finishing in 22.36 seconds.

She set the 🍁 100m record earlier this year.
pic.twitter.com/h5jkzOJFLe

— Ben Steiner (@BenSteiner00) June 1, 2024

“My goal was going to be to stay in Québec and Canada to prove that athletes can still make it on the international stage, and Laval has been the place to do that,” she told Canadian Running, praising the school’s ability to support top athletes and the continuity she’s been able to achieve under coach Fabrice Akué, who moved with her from Québec City to Montreal’s national training centre.

“Being able to compete with the Rouge et Or and having the possibility of classes online is critical, because we have so many meets outside Canada, and the university has been a great support,” said Leduc.

This season, though, has been fairly unexpected, and studying remotely has been vital to her success. Lining up in Laval’s red and gold colours across the United States and around the world, Leduc raced to a 100m record of 10.96 seconds in Baton Rouge, La., and a 200m record of 22.36 in Atlanta—stopping the clock in times that would shock her counterparts in the NCAA.

“It can be overwhelming at times,” she said. “It’s been exciting to be in a place to chase records and get the Canadian 100m and 200m records, and to continue what I was doing during the indoor season, now in the outdoor season.”

At the beginning of the year, her goal was to compete at Paris 2024. She’d hoped her World Athletics ranking would be enough to qualify her, and that she would not necessarily need to qualify on times. Yet, as the season has worn on and her opponents have finished full seconds behind her, the reality set in that she was Canada’s fastest woman, and had gotten to that point through U SPORTS.

While being in Canadian university sport has allowed Leduc to be at the top of competitions since coming in as a first-year student-athlete, she says it’s the team awards that stand out (e.g., winning a team bronze medal at the Laval-hosted RSEQ championships). Of course, she played a big role in that team podium, winning the 60m and long jump events, elevating the Rouge et Or to the podium often occupied by big Ontario schools.

For someone who has collected seemingly countless records and was recently named the 2023-24 U SPORTS Athlete of the Year, there’s still an element of shock for Leduc. She has broken out so quickly in Canadian sprinting while carrying a sense of pride, not only for her school and country, but also for the system that she’s proven has worth.

“The NCAA can be a great opportunity, but I don’t feel like I missed anything staying in Canada,” she said. “Because we have fewer elite-level athletes, you can win more and have more confidence through that, and that can help you develop to be able to reach a higher level after school.”

Now comes the hard part of turning speed and wins into a career, one that can continue even once she crosses the finish line a final time. But for now, that can wait—Paris and the Olympic stage are next, and it can all start to feel very real on Friday night.