Track and Field Worlds: Andre De Grasse living for the big moments

It's fair to say Canada’s 200m gold medallist Andre De Grasse is a big game player.

The 27-year-old proved it beyond doubt at Tokyo 2020 when he upgraded his Rio 2016 silver medal to gold in a thrilling Olympic final that saw him named the first Olympic 200m champion in the post-Usain Bolt era.

And while the bright lights of international competition can cause some athletes to crumble, De Grasse thrives when the pressure is on. 

To date, he has won one gold, two silvers and three bronze medals at the Olympic Games in addition to one silver and three bronze medals at the World Championships. 

But perhaps even more telling is the fact that he has medalled in every Olympic and World final he has been in.

Many athletes would pay a small ransom to know the secret of De Grasse's success but for Canada's fastest man, these are the situations he lives for.

“I love competing on the big stage in front of the big crowds when it's all on the line,” he said in an exclusive interview with Olympics.com, just two days before the men’s 100m competition begins at the Track and Field World Championships in Oregon.

“I like taking the risk."

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Experience to trump less than ideal championship preparation

For someone who has had as much success as De Grasse - and as much to celebrate over the past year - the last few months must have been a struggle.

A foot injury in April was followed by a bout of COVID that left the sprinter with shortness of breath.

It meant he missed the Canadian trials for these Track and Field World Championships and was fighting to recover physically for Oregon.

“It’s been a challenging three to four weeks, trying to get here and make sure I’m ready to go,” he said candidly, looking back on his recent illness that could barely have come at a worse time.

But for De Grasse, who was granted a place at the Worlds by Team Canada, his mental preparation has been as important as his physical state.

“I just had to make sure that my mental was strong - that was the most important thing. I knew physically I'd just take it day by day [because] my body will come back to me…

“I knew every day I was getting better, and I just had to tell myself to take it one step at a time and just tell myself mentally that, ‘hey, I’m going to be ready when it counts.’"

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Ready when it counts

There’s no doubting that when it comes to major championships, De Grasse knows how to show his best form when the heat is on.

Ninth on the all-time 200m list with a PB of 19.62, the Canadian lags behind both the USA's Erriyon Knighton (19.49) and Noah Lyles (19.50) in terms of the fastest time he has posted.

But none of that matters when the heat is on and you have one race to define your fate in a major championship. When it comes to that, few can rival De Grasse’s experience.

“Just knowing that I'm prepared, you know, I've done sports a long time now, whether it's track and field basketball, soccer, and I just live for the big moments,” he said, before later adding:

“I know there’s so much on the line, it’s kind of like a life or death situation, right?"

And when it comes to competing at Hayward Field, the venue of this year’s Worlds, De Grasse is excited about once again having the opportunity to turn up when it matters most.

“You know this track is really fast and a lot of people when they run here have had a lot of success,” he said, looking forward to the prospect of adding to his World Championships medal haul.

“I’m just trying to be one of those people this weekend.”

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