De Grasse feeling rejuvenated entering Canadian trials after meeting 100m Olympic standard | CBC Sports

Rejuvenated by a recent performance, Andre De Grasse is confident he can still outrun the best in the world at this summer’s Paris Olympics.

“I’m feeling like my old self again,” the decorated Canadian sprinter said Wednesday at Claude-Robillard sports complex. “I’m starting to get back my speed.”

De Grasse enters the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic track and field trials after running a season-best 10.00 seconds at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland, last week to meet the 100-metre entry standard for the Paris Games.

It was De Grasse’s fastest time since September 2021, when he ran the 100 in 9.89 seconds at the Diamond League final.

WATCH l CBC Sports’ Devin Heroux and Anastasia Bucsis preview track and field trials:

The six-time Olympic medallist hasn’t posted a sub-10-second time since, but hopes to change that at the trials, which run Wednesday through Sunday in Montreal.

“It’s my fastest time in three years, since 2021, so that’s always a good confidence booster to say, ‘OK, now I’m starting to find my speed back,”‘ De Grasse said of his performance in Finland. “I know if I have a great start, my top-end speed is there and I’ll definitely be able to compete with everyone.

“Last week, Finland kind of just proved to me that I’m coming back, I’m finding my form. Friday night, I’m looking forward to just trying to improve on that.”

De Grasse, who won gold in the 200 and bronze in the 100 at the Tokyo Games in 2021, will try to win the men’s 100 final Friday.

The 29-year-old from Markham, Ont., is focusing his energy on the 100 and won’t compete in the 200 event this week, but intends to defend his Olympic title in Paris.

“My coach and I just were like, let’s try to focus on getting that speed back,” he said. “If I get the speed back, the 200 becomes a lot easier for me.”

A strong Canadian team of world and Olympic champions are competing this week.

Hammer-throwing world champions Camryn Rogers and Ethan Katzberg kicked off the trials Wednesday. World champion decathlete Pierce LePage is absent with a medical exemption, but reigning Olympic champion Damian Warner is taking part in three events. Marco Arop, the 800 world champion, is also an athlete to watch this week.

But De Grasse could still steal the spotlight. He’s Canada’s most decorated male Summer Games athlete with six career Olympic medals (one gold, two silver, three bronze) — and he’s hoping to add to that haul this summer.

“I just rely on my experience. It’s good that I have two Olympic Games under my belt,” said De Grasse, who has a history of peaking at major events. “There’s not going to be no star-struck, I know the lights are going to be bright and I love that.”

Athletics Canada will announce the Canadian team on July 2. The Paris Games begin July 26.

WATCH | CBC Sports’ Athletics North — Can De Grasse go lower than 9.84?:

‘It’s go time’: 2024 Olympic & Paralympic Athletics Trials | Preview

Devin Heroux and Anastasia Bucsis set the scene at Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard in Montreal on Day 1 of the 2024 Bell track and field trials.