Andre De Grasse sidelined for Canadian Track and Field Championships in Ottawa

CTV’s Patricia Boal speaks with seven-time Olympic medallist Andre De Grasse at the Canadian Track and Field Championships.

As Canada’s top track and field athletes compete in Ottawa at the national championships this weekend, sprinter Andre De Grasse will be watching from the sidelines.

The Canadian Track and Field Championships run until Sunday at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility at Mooney’s Bay.

However, the seven-time Olympic medallist tells CTV News Ottawa tightness in his hamstring will prevent him from competing this weekend.

“Unfortunately, I won’t be competing this weekend,” De Grasse told CTV News Ottawa’s Patricia Boal on Wednesday.

“I picked up a little bit of tightness a couple of weeks ago with my hamstring so I’m going to play it safe and not do any extra damage I need to do. I’ll just be here this weekend signing autographs, doing meet-and-greets, taking pictures and just hanging out with my fans and making sure everyone has a chance to see me.”

De Grasse expects to be ready for the World Athletics Championship in Tokyo in September.

“I have about five-six weeks, so I should be good. It’s just a little bit of tightness in my hamstring so I don’t want to risk it and make it worse,” De Grasse said. “I’ve been getting a lot of treatment from the team doctors here, making sure I’m ready to go when it matters.”

De Grasse won gold with the men’s 4X100 metre relay team at the Paris Olympics, and won gold in the 200 metres and bronze in the 100 metres in Tokyo 2020.

The semi-finals and the finals for the men’s and women’s 100 metres are scheduled for Friday night in Ottawa, while the 200 metres semi-finals and finals are set for Sunday.

De Grasse admits there is “always a little bit of pressure” for athletes competing at home.

“There’s obviously a little bit more expectations because you have your family, your friends – you want to do well in front of them,” De Grasse said.

“I always treat that as something very special to me.”

De Grasse tells CTV News Ottawa he is looking towards the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

“L.A. would be a full-circle moment for me,” De Grasse said. “I went to school in L.A., it’s kind of where I got my start and started to make a name for myself out there. Definitely, that would be a full-circle moment for me, competing at the Coliseum.”