As the lights go out at Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium on Saturday, it marks the end of a remarkable Olympic run for Canadian track and field. Over the course of the week, records were broken, dreams were realized, and barriers once thought unattainable were smashed.
Canada will leave Tokyo with six medals, far surpassing what it has done on the track at previous Olympics.
The magical week started with Toronto’s Andre De Grasse competing in the 100-metre event, vying for the title of world’s fastest man.
With the world watching, the 26-year-old from Markham, Ont., delivered a bronze medal in what is widely regarded as the Olympic’s marquee event.
His time of 9.89 seconds was also his fastest ever.
“From me, this is an amazing moment. Last year I never thought we would be here in Tokyo,” De Grasse said after the race. “And to get back on the podium, it’s amazing.”
De Grasse also captured the bronze in the 100 at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Two days after winning the bronze in Tokyo, he followed it up with a gold-medal performance in the 200, outracing a trio of Americans, finishing with a Canadian-best time of 19.62.
The sprinter called it the “race of his life.”
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