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De Grasse May Shut Down Season
Andre De Grasse is considering shutting down his season and focusing on next year after pulling out of the Commonwealth Games.
Despite a majestic anchor leg that sealed a thrilling victory for the Canada relay team at the world track and field championships, De Grasse is still not feeling his best after a challenging season on the fitness front.
The 27-year-old battled a foot injury for a number of months and then contracted COVID-19 a month before the world championships.
“To be honest, it’s been a struggle,” De Grasse said. “I don’t feel like I have like 100 per cent of my energy back. I think right now I just want to rest and recover until I start feeling like myself again, and then I can kind of make that decision [about shutting down].
“[The foot injury] has been lingering the whole season, so I want to try to get it back to 100 per cent. . . We’ll see, we’ll see what happens.”
There are five Diamond League meets remaining over the next six weeks, but also a huge next two years with another world championships in August of 2023 in Budapest, and then the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“I want to get ready for next year, another worlds, and then I want to be healthy for the Olympic Games, because it could potentially be my last. So I want to be able to be great,” De Grasse added.
“The stereotype is people get two or three Olympics. But if I get a fourth one, I’ll be grateful for that. I was talking to Glenroy [Gilbert, Athletics Canada’s head coach] about I get a fourth Olympics, and I’m at my best, I’m at my prime, great. If not, and I’m just there to run the relay, it’d be a great moment as well.
“You just take it day by day, year by year, you don’t try to think that far ahead.”
De Grasse failed to qualify for the men’s 100m final at the world championships before pulling out of the 200m event altogether.
/Stewart Sports news editor
