Tokyo 2020 - ‘Living up to the expectations of my country’ - Canada’s Andre De Grasse on 200m Olympic gold
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Updated 05/08/2021 at 00:41 GMT
New Olympic champion Andre De Grasse says he is "so proud" that he has finally won his first global major title, having come so close at Rio 2016 and two World Championships. De Grasse ran the eighth quickest 200m time ever to beat American pair Kenny Bednarek and Noah Lyles. You want it? We have it. Stream every Olympic event live on discovery+.
'It's Canada's day!' - De Grasse storms to 200m gold ahead of USA duo
Canada's Andre De Grasse says he has finally lived up to the "expectations of my country and of myself" after becoming Olympic champion in the 200m at Tokyo 2020.
The sprinter set a new national record and ran the eighth fastest time ever over the distance by running 19.62 to beat American pair Kenny Bednarek and Noah Lyles.
After three Games of Usain Bolt success over both 100m and 200m sprint distances, De Grasse has succeeded the great Jamaican to the Olympic title.
Since Bolt retired, De Grasse has suffered several injury setbacks, but he has always threatened to win a major global title, finishing with individual bronze in the 100m and 200m at previous World Championships and Olympic Games, going back to 2015. Now he can call himself a gold medallist, and he cannot believe what he has achieved.
"I just thought about all the things that I’ve been through in my career," he told Eurosport.
Battling injuries, battling through all the adversity trying to get back out here on the track, living up to the expectations of my country, of myself and I’m just so happy that I finally did it. I finally won Olympic gold, I’m the first to do it in my country, and I’m so proud of that.
"I knew the Americans were going to push me. Kenny runs a magnificent turn, my coach just told me 'go with him, you’re strong enough to finish this race, you’re going to be able to hold on', and he was right.
"My fitness was there and I just kept going, stayed relaxed, it was a great race, just an amazing race."
De Grasse will try to inspire a strong Canadian 4x100m relay team to a medal on Friday, with the heats taking place in the early hours of Thursday morning, UK time. He is desperate to get home to his family (he is married to 100m hurdles world champion Nia Ali) and spoke to them trackside after winning his Olympic title.
"It was great, I can’t wait to go home to them, it’s been a long trip, coming out here by myself and not having them get a chance to be in the stadium and watch me run, but they cheered me on every step of the way.
"I’ve Facetimed them every day, they’re proud of me, I’m proud of myself, I’m speechless, it’s crazy right now."
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