(Eugene) Less than a month after contracting COVID-19, Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse needed a late push to advance to the 100-meter semifinals at the World Championships in Athletics.
Updated yesterday at 11:25 p.m.
The six-time Olympic medalist seemed in trouble in the first 80 meters at Hayward Field on Friday, but he shifted into second gear to take second place with a time of 10.12 seconds. He automatically qualified for Saturday’s semi-finals.
“It was good to just get the rust off today,” said De Grasse. Now I can just give it my all on Saturday in the semi-finals. It won’t be easy. I just have to go on the track and try to get my best time of the season. »
Toronto’s Aaron Brown also earned his ticket to the semifinals after crossing the finish line in a season-best 10.06 seconds.
On an evening in which the lap times were fast, De Grasse showed the 19e better time. Fred Kerley was the fastest of all the waves with a time of 9.79.
“The track is extraordinary and the atmosphere is very good. There will definitely be some fast times on Saturday, De Grasse pointed out. Several people can stand on the podium. I just have to go one race at a time to try to qualify for the final. »
Aged 27, De Grasse has never missed the podium in an individual race at the Worlds or the Olympics. He won four bronze medals in the 100 metres, two at the Worlds and two at the Olympics.
A foot injury, however, slowed him down earlier this season. He was starting to regain his form when he stopped the clock at 10.05 seconds at the Oslo Diamond League event on June 16, but announced a few days later that he had contracted COVID-19.
De Grasse recently admitted in an interview with The Canadian Press that he even got a little out of breath when climbing the stairs.
The semi-finals and the final will take place on Saturday.
Meanwhile, it only took one attempt for Camryn Rogers to secure her spot in the hammer throw final.
PHOTO DAVID J. PHILLIP, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Canada’s Camryn Rogers competes in qualifying for the women’s hammer throw at the World Championships in Athletics.
The 23-year-old from Richmond, B.C., threw 73.67 meters in the opening round of the World Championships, surpassing the qualifying threshold of 73.50 . She then left the stadium.
“We came to the stadium with a plan to get it over with on the first pitch,” Rogers said. It is a plan and a point that we have worked on to have consistency throughout the season. And then to come here and do the work when it counts. That’s all. We can now go ahead and be fired up for Sunday’s final. »
It was the fourth best throw of the day, but the result was a far cry from his own Canadian mark of 77.67m set last month — which was also the fourth best in the world this season.
Jillian Weir of Kingston also qualified for the final with a 72.00m shot.
Rogers finished fifth at her first Olympics last summer in Tokyo, and was the youngest athlete in the final. She hopes to smash her own mark in the final, which could give Canada a first medal in this event.
“It was my first Olympic Games and it was so exciting,” she said. We now know there is more. There is room for improvement. You can always work on things and you can always work to surpass yourself and reach the next levels. The plan is to keep building and achieve a new personal high. It also means leaving the stadium with a medal. This is our goal. »
A few weeks after breaking her Canadian shot put record, Sarah Mitton shot 19.38m on her second attempt. She thus obtained her ticket for the final, presented on Saturday.
The 26-year-old Nova Scotian is ranked third in the world after throwing 20.33m. It was then the best shot in the world of the year.
Earlier Friday, Canadian Django Lovett was flawless in qualifying in the high jump. The 30-year-old British Columbian surpassed his best result this season, 2.28 meters, in his first attempt to earn a place in the final on Monday.
He was one of six jumpers to cross this bar on the first attempt.
“My goal was to land all of my jumps and we got the job done,” Lovett said.
Lovett finished eighth at her first Olympics last summer in Tokyo.
The 2018 Commonwealth Games bronze medalist also took the honors at the Diamond League stage in Birmingham in May.
Canada sent a delegation of 59 athletes to these Worlds, the third largest sports competition in the world behind the Olympic Games and the Soccer World Cup. These take place at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.