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sports Diahuebs 5 augustus 2021

A star is found: In 200, De Grasse finally gets his gold

(AP) — Perhaps the De Grasse said. “I always
world’s next sprint star thought I came up short win-
wasn’t so hard to find af- ning bronze and silver, so it’s
ter all. just good to have that gold
medal. No one can take that
He’s Andre De Grasse, the away from me.”
Canadian who ran his first
sprint as a teen in baggy The most memorable of De
basketball shorts and bor- Grasse’s near misses came in
rowed spikes, and now has an 2016, when he took silver in
Olympic gold medal in the the 200-meters in Rio, and
200 meters. had the audacity to mess with
Bolt.
De Grasse powered past a
pair of Americans — Kenny It was a semifinal race and
Bednarek and the favorite, the two were far ahead of
Noah Lyles — to finish in the field and easily going to
19.62 seconds Wednesday make the medal race. But on
and take one of the titles that instructions from his coach,
Usain Bolt had owned for who wanted to wear out the
the previous three Olympics. champ, De Grasse kept push-
ing. It forced Bolt to kick
It ends a string of close calls things back into overdrive.
for the 26-year-old and fills
out a medal collection that Bolt won the race but play-
was only missing gold. De fully wagged his finger at De have to get second. I can’t attempt at a 100-200 double.
Grasse won bronze four Grasse. The moment went catch him.” But his 100 at Olympic trials —And Sydney McLaugh-
nights earlier in the 100 to go viral, and Bolt insisted he was a mess, and his best race lin of the U.S., who set the
with the third-place medal he wasn’t pleased. He came back Lesson learned, and since of the season was the 200 fi- world record (51.46) and beat
took in that event in Rio de to blow away De Grasse in Bolt left the scene, De Grasse nal in Eugene, Oregon. Dalilah Muhammad in a race
Janeiro. the final, by nearly a quarter said he’s only gotten stronger that lived up to the hype.
second, but the champion and more fit. Meanwhile, the Lyles made a mistake Tues-
Given all he’s been through, suggested the extra energy world has been looking for day night in the semifinals, Allyson Felix advanced into
it was no surprise when he didn’t help in his futile quest someone, anyone, to take the slowing down too far before the final of the 400 meters,
revealed that he’d been cry- to re-set his world record of former champion’s place in the line, getting edged out for though the nine-time Olym-
ing behind the bronze — or 19.19. the marquee track events. the two automatic spots in pic medalist acknowledged
were they gold — colored his heat, and being forced to this isn’t like it used to be.
shades he wore for the race. “I came back for that final On Sunday night, Italian wait to see if his time would
and I was gassed, tired,” De sprinter Marcell Jacobs came earn him a qualifying spot. “You get older,” said the
“It’s my first time being so Grasse said. “I looked to my from nowhere to win the 100, 35-year-old Felix, “and it
emotional on the track,” side, and I said I’m going to leaving De Grasse behind in It did, but it cost him in the fi- seems like it’s harder.”
what is usually considered nal. Forced to start in Lane 3,
his second-best distance. Lyles pushed out too quickly. De Grasse went through in-
He had the lead heading into juries and setbacks in virtu-
But finally, De Grasse has the homestretch but didn’t ally every year since his close
cashed in. It’s his first gold at know it. calls in Rio. He admits there
a major event after amassing were times when he won-
two silvers and six bronzes at “Unfortunately, I couldn’t dered if he’d ever make it to
Olympics and world champi- see anybody and was run- the top step of the podium.
onships since 2015. ning for my life,” Lyles said.
“I thought I was the one be- “Worth the wait, definitely,”
“It’s persistence,” said de- hind. I felt like I was the one he said.
cathlon leader Damian War- chasing.”
ner, who hung out near the Quite an accomplishment
track to watch his Canadian Nope. De Grasse was doing for a one-time point guard
teammate win. “He’s had to the chasing. And catching. who got into track on a
go against Usain Bolt, Yohan And, finally, winning. He’s whi m. On the bus in high
Blake, all these tough com- the first sprint gold medalist school, he bumped into a
petitors. So it’s not like he’s for Canada since Donovan friend, who challenged him
just choking or losing in the Bailey won the 100 at the to come out to the track. De
final. He’s losing to some re- 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Grasse thought he could beat
ally great athletes.” his buddy, so he went out in
Other gold medals on Day 6 his basketball shorts, started
This time, he beat some of Olympic track went to: from a standing position and
— most notably, Lyles, the finished in 10.9.
reigning world champion at —Wojciech Nowicki in the
200 meters who has been on hammer throw, which gave An Olympic bronze medalist
a difficult road to the Tokyo Poland a men’s-women’s from 1984, Tony Sharpe, was
Olympics. He openly talked sweep of those titles. sitting in the stands that day,
about his mental-health is- looking for new talent. He
sues and the anguish of com- —Emmanuel Korir in the saw that race and said, “Who
ing to the Games without 800, who was followed by is this guy?”
his brother, Josephus, who Kenyan teammate Ferguson
is also a sprinter but failed to Rotich. That was in 2012.
qualify.
—Peruth Chemutai of Now it’s 2021, and nobody is
At one point this summer, Uganda in the women’s stee- asking anymore.
Lyles appeared headed for an plechase.