Canada’s Aaron Brown punches ticket to fourth Olympic Games

Aaron Brown has officially punched his ticket to his fourth Olympic Games, winning the men’s 200m final in Montreal on Sunday afternoon. This is Brown’s 12th Canadian national sprint title in his career.

Brown ran a wind-aided 20.09 seconds to win by a significant margin ahead of his 4x100m relay teammate Brendon Rodney, who was second in 20.34 seconds. Olympic champion Andre De Grasse did not enter the men’s 200m at Trials, given an Athletics Canada coaches’ exemption, meaning he will be named to the team at a later date (likely July 2).

The 32-year-old first represented Canada 12 years ago, competing in the London 2012 Olympics as a 20-year-old. Brown will be the only male athlete on the Canadian track and field team in Paris who has appeared at four Olympic Games.

Sunday’s win in Montreal was emotional for Brown, with his parents, wife, and two kids cheering him on from the grandstands at Claude-Robillard. Brown donned his signature burgundy Nike headband with a timeline of significant moments of his life pictured on it.

What a moment for Aaron Brown’s (@KingsleySC) family.

His parents, wife and two kids were in Montreal to watch him secure a spot to his fourth Olympics.

London ⏭️ Rio ⏭️ Tokyo 🔜 Paris 🇫🇷#ACTrials24 pic.twitter.com/ZHBBOJoY2H

— Canadian Running (@CanadianRunning) June 30, 2024

Rodney and De Grasse will likely be nominated to the Canadian Olympic team in the 200m event next week, both previously having the 200m standard of 20.16 seconds. 

Audrey Leduc pulls off sprint double in Montreal

It was another weekend to remember for Canadian sprinter Audrey Leduc of Gatineau, Que., as she pulled off the women’s sprint double in Montreal on Sunday, winning the women’s 200m in a wind-aided 22.71 seconds (+2.7 m/s). Leduc will represent Team Canada in Paris in three events: the women’s 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay.

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

There was a photo finish for second and third in the women’s 200m between newly crowned Canadian 400m champ Toronto’s Zoe Sherar and Ottawa’s Jacqueline Madogo. After review, Sherar was given second place by three-thousandths of a second in 22.944.

For full results from Day 5 at Bell Canadian Olympic Trials, check here.