Pan Am Games: De Grasse’s perfect Games end with DQ

Andre De Grasse’s storybook ending was cut short Saturday, the last day of events on the track at at Pan Am Games. The star of the Games, from the first day of competition to the last, was disqualified along with his teammates in the men’s 4x100m relay.

The Canadian men’s relay team of Gavin Smellie, De Grasse, Brendon Rodney and Aaron Brown filled out the four-man squad who ran 38.08 to finish first, but were later disqualified after two separate protests of lane violations. First, a protest over Rodney running out of his lane during the second exchange was upheld, but a second protest over Smellie stepping on the line on the first lane saw the Canadian men disqualified late in the evening, leaving the American as gold medallists in 38.27.

The team will travel to Beijing in August to race the relay at world championships.

Nicole Sifuentes and Sasha Gollish repeated in the placings of Canada’s men from the previous night in the 1,500m, placing second and third, Gollish running with one shoe only half on her foot.

The race went out quickly, slowing through the second and third laps before Muriel Coneo of Colombia kicked home to 4:09.05, running neck-in-neck with Sifuentes, who finished a narrow second in 4:09.13.

“I definitely had eyes on the gold so that’s a little disappointing but I did not give up,” said Sifuentes after the race. “Every second coming down the home stretch I was thinking ‘maybe she’ll falter,’ but she didn’t, but neither did I. I ran as hard as I could so I have no regrets. Definitely would have liked to hear our national anthem but there’s two on the podium and it’s really exciting.”

Gollish, shoe falling off, came third in 4:10.11.

“I could stop and say that that was my day, or I could fight. So I fought,” said Gollish about her half-on shoe. “I didn’t come here to participate. I’m sad I didn’t win, but I really gave it my all.”

Cam Levins, in a slow 5,000m, was out-kicked in the final 200m finishing a disappointing fifth, running 13:48.03. Doubling back from a bronze in the 10,000m, the race was won by Juan Luis Barrios of Mexico, the defending champion, in 13:46.47.

The women’s 4x100m team also hit the podium, finishing third in 43.00 behind the United States and Jamaica. The team consisted of Crystal Emmanuel, Kimberley Hyacinthe, Jellisa Westney and Khamica Bingham.

The women’s 4x400m relay team of Brianne Theisen-Eaton, Taylor Sharpe, Sage Watson and Sarah Wells also managed a bronze medal.

Canada’s Derek Drouin and Michael Mason finished first and second in the high jump, jumping to leaps of 2.37 and 2.31, respectively.