Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse has withdrawn from the 200 meters of the World Athletics Championships, the event in which he won gold last summer in Tokyo.
The 27-year-old athlete, who contracted COVID-19 less than a month ago, had already warned that he would make a decision for this event at the last minute.
The 200 meter event begins Monday with the qualifying phases. The semi-finals are scheduled for Tuesday and the final on Thursday.
De Grasse said he will focus all his energies on the 4 x 100 meters relay with the Canadian team. The race will start on Friday. Canada won the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
The Ontarian, who hadn’t competed since June 18, was unable to qualify for the 100-metre final, settling for a time of 10.21 seconds in the semifinals. It was the first time in his career that he did not reach the podium in a 100m event at the Worlds or the Olympics.
De Grasse, a six-time Olympic medalist, told reporters after the 100m semi-final that he hoped “at least to make the final” but admitted he was not in top form.
A foot injury slowed him down earlier this season. He was starting to regain his form when he clocked 10.05 seconds in the Diamond League event in Oslo on June 16, but announced a few days later that he had contracted COVID -19.
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