Andre De Grasse wows icons in Canadian sprinting, what will they think of his run in the 200m semi-finals?
De Grasse is through to the next round in the 200m. At this point, we're taking a look at what Canadian sprint legends in the 100m have said about him already. What will they think of his next performance?
Less than two days after earning his bronze medal in the 100m final, Andre De Grasse has brought his A game to the the 200m rounds running the fastest time out of the 10 heats and a seasonal best: 20.09. He’s to move on to the semi-finals now.
Donovan Bailey is impressed
But as we brace ourselves for the semi-finals and finals, we’re wondering what memorable moments will shake out of the 21-year-old Canadian’s next performance. His 100m final, on Sunday night, certainly wowed Canadian record holder Donovan Bailey. Actually, Bailey’s reaction to De Grasse nabbing the bronze was just as much of a must-watch as the race itself. If you missed it, that’s below:
Did YOU react like @donovanbailey during the 100-metre final? #Rio2016 https://t.co/zKd35IxZ80 https://t.co/l7gqNIhI0e
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) August 15, 2016
Need a better look?
The semi-finals are happening on Wednesday evening at 9:00 p.m. sharp where De Grasse and fellow Canadian Aaron Brown will run. The finals are slotted in for Thursday night at 9:30 p.m. See our preview of what to expect from De Grasse here.
Of course, one question remains: What’s Bailey going to think of his second quest for a medal in the young star’s first Olympics? Will De Grasse be able to shock him again?
Bruny Surin has already “passed on the baton.”
Congrats Andre, you are the man. A born performer. WOW. #Rio2016
— Bruny Surin (@BrunySurin) August 15, 2016
The reaction from Canada’s 100m record holder was priceless. Bailey shares the record of 9.84 with Bruny Surin, a man who made headlines last year for his  “passing on the baton” open letter to De Grasse.
“The future of sprinting is here, and he has made an enormous impact at the young at of 20 years old… His name is Andre De Grasse, and it is now time that I officially pass him the baton to be the new face of Canadian Track & Field,” he writes later capping it off with: “My advice to Andre is simple, be humble, be appreciative for what you have and never forget your roots. You have a very long career ahead of you, and I will be your biggest fan watching you develop into one of the best sprinters the world has ever seen. It is now your time, so please take the baton to places I was never able to and be a great ambassador to the sport and our Country.”
For Bruny Surin’s full letter, see here.
De Grasse heads into the 200m semi-finals already as the national record holder in the event. But it will be interesting to see what sprinting legends have to say about this next big race.