Skip to main content
Athletics

Hamstrung De Grasse withdraws from world athletics championships

Usain Bolt’s path to 100 metres glory at the world athletics championships was smoothed on Thursday with the withdrawal of Andre de Grasse. The 22-year-old Canadian succumbed to a hamstring injury sustained in training on 31 July.

Andre de Grasse has run the fastest time for the 100 metres in 2017.
Andre de Grasse has run the fastest time for the 100 metres in 2017. Reuters/Dylan Martinez
Advertising

De Grasse, who ran the season’s fastest 100 metres time of 9.69 seconds in Stockholm, had been scheduled to compete in the 100m, 200m and the 4x100m relay. He will now miss the rest of the season.

“For the entire year, this 100 metres race in London was my focus,” he said. “I am really in the best shape of my life and was looking forward to competing against the best in the world.

“To not have this opportunity is unimaginable to me but it is the reality I am now faced with.”

De Grasse announced his promise during the world championships in Beijing in 2015. He came third in the 100m final behind Bolt and the American Justin Gatlin and he anchored the Canadian 4x100m relay team as they claimed bronze.

At the Rio Olympics in 2016, he won the silver medal in the 200m and bronze medals in the 100mand 4x100m relay.

“I am sad to miss this chance,” he added. “But I am young and with treatment and rehabilitation I will be back and better than ever in the near future.”

The heats for the 100m begin on the first evening of competition at the Olympic Stadium on Friday night. The semi-finals take place on Saturday afternoon and the final is the last event of the evening on Saturday.

If he reaches the final, it will be 30-year-old Bolt’s final individual race.

 

Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning

Keep up to date with international news by downloading the RFI app

Share :
Page not found

The content you requested does not exist or is not available anymore.