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The shocks came early in the men’s 4x100m at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games when sprint powerhouse Jamaica failed to qualify for the final, and kept on coming in the medal race, where a disastrous first change brought the favoured USA team undone.
That left Canada to take advantage of the chaos, and show what a cool, calm, collected and well-rehearsed relay team can do, regardless of a damp track and light rain.
The Canadian quartet of Aaron Brown, Jerome Blake, Brendan Rodney and Andre De Grasse has been virtually unchanged for the last Olympiad and it showed on Friday (9).
Tokyo Olympic 200m champion De Grasse anchored the four to silver three years ago, and they went on to claim the world title the following year in Oregon.
Individually, they have not been in the best of form in Paris – De Grasse’s title defence ended in the semifinals in the 200m – but together they remain a potent force.
Running in the outside lane, their slick changeovers put them in front when De Grasse took the baton and he held off the charging South African anchorman Akani Simbine to claim Canada’s first gold medal in this event since 1996, in 37.50.
“Individuals didn’t go our way but when we come together, we’re a real strong team,” Brown said. “You can never count us out, we feel great.”
De Grasse added: “It feels pretty amazing. To be out with these guys, my brothers, I’ve been with them since the beginning of time, so it’s amazing.
“We talked about this moment for years. It feels good to bring it to fruition. I’m super grateful.”
SOURCE: WORLD ATHLETICS
