Interview: Brendon Rodney after running one of the world’s fastest 200m times
Canadian sprinter Brendon Rodney burst onto the scene at the national track and field championships in Edmonton on Sunday with a big upset (photo: Dave Holland).
Brendon Rodney, a graduate of Long Island University in New York, burst onto the Canadian sprint scene on Sunday at nationals with an incredible sub-20-second clocking in the men’s 200m. He’s just the second countrymen to have ever broken the 20-second barrier and defeated national record holder Andre De Grasse in the process.
“Before the race I actually cried, I was just filled with emotions,” Rodney admitted after the race. “My mom is going to be proud.”
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Once the gun went off there was no doubt that the 24-year-old was on a mission. He ran 19.96 and beat the likes of De Grasse, who has a best of 19.88, and Aaron Brown. All three will represent Canada in Rio. Brown and De Grasse both clocked 20.32.
The win comes after his mother suffered a brain aneurysm earlier this year. During his post-race interview, Rodney admits that his mother convinced him to run the American collegiate championships, which was held the day of her surgery, during his final year of university. She has since been recovering back home in Ontario.
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He said that an Achilles problem hampered him throughout 2016 but that he was capable all along of running sub-20, a benchmark in world-class sprinting. He is expected to race as part of Team Canada’s 4x100m relay in Rio in addition to his individual 200m.
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