In what they call “TrackTown USA,” American sprinters swept the podium Saturday night in the men’s 100-meter final at the world track and field championships.
Fred Kerley was the fastest man of the night in Eugene, Oregon, stopping the clock in 9.86 seconds. Marvin Bracey was awarded silver with a time of 9.88 and Trayvon Bromell finished third with a 9.88 — a photo finish set for second and third.
It is the first US 100m world title since 1991 in Tokyo.
The crowd went wild as all three Americans made their way down the track after the race, chants for the USA echoing around Hayward Field on an idyllic evening for racing.
WATCH l Curley leads American strike:
Fred Kerley wins gold in the men’s 100m final as the USA sweeps the podium
Toronto’s Aaron Brown finished as the top Canadian in 8th place with a time of 10.07 in the 100m final at the World Athletics Championships.
Canadian Aaron Brown finished eighth in 10.07.
“I got away well and then messed up the transition. I’m just waiting for my breakthrough. I will continue to work on it. This championship is not over for me,” Brown said.
“People look at me as a 200m guy, so getting into this final is encouraging. It bodes well for what I can do at 200. I look forward to better things.”
Earlier in the evening, six-time Olympic medalist Andre de Grasse failed to make it out of the semi-finals. The 27-year-old from Markham, Ont., finished fifth in his semifinal heat with a time of 10.21.
Toronto’s Brown finished third in his semi-final heat, but due to his season-best time of 10.06 grabbed the final spot to advance to the final.
“It’s an honor every time I put on a maple leaf. This is my fifth world championship and it’s still exciting; I cherish every moment,” Brown said.
“That’s what I’m especially proud of my son now.”
Brown will now turn his attention to the men’s 200m race next week at the Worlds.
“Just keep getting better. I’m chasing that podium; I believe I can get there. The effort never stops,” he said. “Additional fuel to the fire.”
WATCH Canada’s Brown reflects on 8th place:
Canada’s Aaron Brown finished 8th in the men’s 100m final
Toronto’s Aaron Brown finished 8th after running 10.07 in the men’s 100m final at the World Athletics Championships.
“I didn’t have it today”
De Grasse, who is the reigning Olympic 200m champion, may not be able to compete in the event.
He had been suffering from a range of symptoms while recovering after testing positive for COVID-19 just two weeks ago, including shortness of breath.
This forced him to miss the nationals in Langley, British Columbia
“I didn’t have it today. [I’m] I’m grateful to be back here in front of this amazing crowd, my family and friends. Everything is fine. It was a challenging season. I will take it; I made it to the semi-finals,” DeGrasse told CBC Sports.
WATCH how De Grasse failed to qualify:
Canada’s Andre De Grasse fails to qualify for men’s 100m final at World Athletics Championships
Andre DeGrasse of Markham, Ont., ran 10.21 in his 100m semifinal, failing to qualify for the final.
When asked if he had enough time to recover before the men’s 200m to defend his Olympic gold, de Grasse certainly sounded like he would.
“I don’t know. We’ll see. After this performance, it doesn’t look like it, but we’ll see what happens. [I’ll] talk to my coach and go from there,” DeGrasse said.
However, it sounds like he still plans to compete in the men’s 4x100m relay at the end of the world.
“I definitely don’t want to let my team down. I’ll be there for them,” he said.
De Grasse’s remarkable medal streak has come to an end, dating back to his world championship debut in 2015 when he won bronze in the 100m. De Grasse competed in seven individual events at the World or Olympic Games and reached the podium in every one of them.
For more stories about the experiences of black Canadians – from anti-black racism to success stories in the black community – see Being Black in Canada, a CBC project that black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.
(CBC)
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