(Jacksonville) Ontario’s Andre De Grasse began his outdoor season with a victory in the 200m at the East Coast Relays on Friday.
De Grasse, of Markham, clocked 20.11 seconds in the first heat, finishing with the fastest time among all competitors in all 15 waves.
The 29-year-old Canadian had competed in two 60m indoor events this year.
His first outdoor event of 2024 came on the heels of an explosive end to his nonetheless grueling 2023 season.
After placing sixth in the 200m at the world championships, De Grasse collected his first career Diamond League victory in September, clocking 19.76 seconds.
It was the fourth fastest time of the career of De Grasse, the 200m champion at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.