4. ANDRE DE GRASSE
He may be only 20, but Andre De Grasse has already entered the history books as the first Canadian to run both a sub-10s in the 100m, and a sub-20s in the 200m. The University of Southern California undergraduate came into reckoning after winning the sprint double at the 2015 NCAA Championships with wind-assisted marks of 9.75s (+2.7) and 19.58s (+2.4) respectively.
He is tied with former world champion, Tyson Gay for the fastest time run at Hayward Field (9.75s). Also, his time in the 200m is the 2nd fastest time ever run by a collegiate athlete and the second fastest in 2015 over any condition. The Canadian is currently ranked No. 3 (19.88s) in the 200m standings as only Justin Gatlin (19.57s) and Jamaica’s Rasheed Dwyer (19.80s) have gone faster in 2015.
De Grasse is the current National Record (NR) holder in the 200m. He clocked 19.88s to win the recently held Pan American Games in Toronto, erasing his former Canadian record of 20.03s set earlier in the year. He won the 100m at the same championship with a time of 10.05s, clocking 9.97s on his way to the final. He is 17th in the 100m this year, with his PB of 9.95s which he posted at the National Trials, making him the first sprinter of any nationality to run a sub-10 on Canadian soil in 15 years.
And so the youngster will be hoping to consolidate on his earlier successes of the season as he goes against the big names at the World Championships. However, he won’t compete in his main event, the 200m, opting instead for the 100m and 4x100m relay. He said: “Even though I’ve accomplished so much here (Pan American Games), I feel like to other people, it might not have been that impressive. I’ve got to go out there at the World Championship and try to make the final, and get a medal.” Way to go De Grasse!
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