Will lightning strike again? Usain Bolt goes for 100m three-peat, Andre De Grasse wants gold
The men's 100m semifinals and finals are scheduled for Sunday evening at the Olympic Games in Rio. Usain Bolt looks to three-peat while Canadian Andre De Grasse looks to upset (photo: Team Canada).
The running world will have their eyes glued to one of track and field’s marquee events tonight in Rio: the men’s 100m. The race is one of the most electrifying moments of the Olympic Games and the race is over in less than 10 seconds. Tonight’s winner will earn the title of “world’s fastest man.”
When:
Sunday, Aug. 14: 8 p.m. EDT – Semifinals
Sunday, Aug. 14: 9:25 p.m. EDT – Finals
Who’s the favourite(s):
Usain Bolt (Jamaica) and Justin Gatlin (United States)
How to watch:
The men’s 100m semifinals and finals take place within 90 minutes of each other this evening. There will be three heats of the semifinals where the top two from each of the three races automatically qualify for the finals. Two Runners with the fastest times who don’t place in the top-two in their heat also advance to the finals. There will be eight men in the 9:25 p.m. EDT race where medal positions will be decided.
RELATED: De Grasse’s medal chances in the men’s 100m.
Because each of the races are only about 10 seconds. You’ll want to be prepared to watch when the gun goes off. Get the snacks ready, plan the bathroom break ahead of time and make sure you’re comfortable when the runners take their marks. Remember that if an athlete false starts in the race, they are automatically disqualified from the race.
So… Looks like tonight is the night…#NothingPersonal #Rio2016
— Andre De Grasse (@De6rasse) August 14, 2016
CBC Sports will be streaming the event live online as well as on television. Make sure to tune in a few minutes ahead of time, especially online, as you may have to watch more than 30 seconds of advertisements. Each of the three semifinal heats take place on five-minute intervals beginning at 8 p.m. EDT. Usain Bolt and Andre De Grasse are in the second heat, which is slated to go at 8:05 p.m. EDT. Full start lists can be found at the bottom of this page.
Who will win: Jamaica’s Usain Bolt
Watch to watch for and how it will play out:
Bolt, the world record holder in the men’s 100m, 200m a 4x100m relay, often does not get the best of starts but has incredible top speed. Once the big man gets moving, he’s able to run down anyone in the world. Justin Gatlin, the silver medallist at the world championships in 2015 and the 2004 Olympic champion, has one of the best starts. If Gatlin or Canadian Andre De Grasse can put Bolt under pressure by getting out of the blocks quickly, they might force Bolt to tense up and over-stride.
Men’s 100m final at the 2015 world championships
The Canadian, with a lifetime best of 9.92, does not have the kind of times that other runners in the field do. Bolt has run 9.58, Yohan Blake 9.69 and Gatlin 9.74. The Markham, Ont. native will have to set a personal best if he is to make a run at the Olympic podium tonight.
RELATED: Geneviève Lalonde runs the race of her life at Olympics, sets Canadian record.
Bolt, the 2008 and 2012 Olympic champion in the event, will go for the three-peat as he looks to win nine gold medals in three consecutive Games. He hasn’t been in great form this year and pulled out of the Olympic Trials because of a grade 1 hamstring tear. However, he’s believed to be healthy again and he can never be counted out. He has never lost a global senior championship race in which he has finished.
Look for Gatlin and Bolt to duel it out for the win while De Grasse, Bromell and Yohan Blake contend for the bronze medal.
The Canadian storyline:
Canada has a serious medal contender for the first time since Donovan Bailey won gold in the men’s 100m at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. De Grasse, just 21 years of age, is considered the heir to Usain Bolt as he signed a multi-year, US$11.25 million deal with Puma in 2015, the same company that sponsors Bolt.
Back in action at the track today. ????? // Retour en force sur la piste aujourd’hui. ?????
A photo posted by Canadian Olympic Team (@teamcanada) on
For De Grasse to contend for a medal, he will first have to make it through the semifinals, where he will run alongside Bolt. Also in his heat is Trayvon Bromell of the United States. Bromell and De Grasse tied for third at the 2015 world championships in the men’s 100m and both went home with bronze. They’re both the same age and are considered the young superstars of the field.
De Grasse, the 2015 Pan Am Games champion in the 100m, looked good in the heats of the men’s 100m. There he ran 10.04. He will need to have the race of his life at the sport’s highest level and biggest stage but judging by his calm demeanor and previous accomplishments, he should be up for the challenge. For reference, the Canadian men’s 100m record is 9.84, co-held by Bailey and Bruny Surin. That mark may very well be in danger tonight.
Semifinals start list
HEAT 1 – 21:00
| ORDER / LANE | BIB | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | SB 2016 | PB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2580 | Hassan TAFTIAN |  IRI |
10.04 | 10.04 |
| 3 | 2434 | Jimmy VICAUT |  FRA |
9.86 | 9.86 |
| 4 | 2608 | Nickel ASHMEADE |  JAM |
9.94 | 9.90 |
| 5 | 2909 | Akani SIMBINE |  RSA |
9.89 | 9.89 |
| 6 | 2234 | Zhenye XIE |  CHN |
10.08 | 10.08 |
| 7 | 2245 | Ben Youssef MEITÉ |  CIV |
9.99 | 9.99 |
| 8 | 3053 | Marvin BRACY |  USA |
9.94 | 9.93 |
| 9 | 3002 | Jak Ali HARVEY |  TUR |
9.92 | 9.92 |
HEAT 2 – 21:05
| ORDER / LANE | BIB | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | SB 2016 | PB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2018 | Cejhae GREENE |  ANT |
10.01 | 10.01 |
| 3 | 2924 | Kim COLLINS |  SKN |
9.93 | 9.93 |
| 4 | 2170 | Andrew FISHER |  BRN |
10.07 | 9.94 |
| 5 | 2196 | Andre DE GRASSE |  CAN |
9.99 | 9.92 |
| 6 | 2612 | Usain BOLT | JAM |
9.88 | 9.58 |
| 7 | 2476 | Chijindu UJAH |  GBR |
10.06 | 9.96 |
| 8 | 2664 | Ryota YAMAGATA |  JPN |
10.06 | 10.06 |
| 9 | 3054 | Trayvon BROMELL | USA |
9.84 | 9.84 |
HEAT 3 – 21:10
| ORDER / LANE | BIB | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | SB 2016 | PB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2447 | James DASAOLU | GBR |
10.11 | 9.91 |
| 3 | 2229 | Bingtian SU | CHN |
10.17 | 9.99 |
| 4 | 2611 | Yohan BLAKE | JAM |
9.94 | 9.69 |
| 5 | 2164 | Kemarley BROWN | BRN |
10.03 | 9.93 |
| 6 | 3069 | Justin GATLIN | USA |
9.80 | 9.74 |
| 7 | 2636 | Aska CAMBRIDGE | JPN |
10.10 | 10.10 |
| 8 | 2016 | Daniel BAILEY | ANT |
10.09 | 9.91 |
| 9 | 2427 | Christophe LEMAITRE | FRA |
10.09 | 9.92 |
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