Team Canada athletes didn’t come to Paris 2024 to idiot round. In track and discipline, 5 younger sprinters in explicit stood out, bringing nothing however their A-game as they made their first-ever look on the Games. Although medals had been out of attain this time round (the medals earned in athletics had been gained by veterans), the performances of those younger Canadians caught the eye of followers across the globe and making it clear that they might be returning, higher than ever, for extra.
Audrey Leduc (100m, 200m, 4x100m)
The 25-year-old Quebec native capped off her breakthrough season in Paris, the place she competed in three completely different occasions and broke two nationwide information throughout her massive Olympic debut. Already holding the Canadian document in the 100m and 200m occasions, Leduc sprinted to a brand new private better of 10.95 seconds in the primary spherical of the ladies’s 100m, setting a brand new nationwide document and qualifying for the semi-finals.
She additionally moved on to the semis in the ladies’s 200m, and anchored the 4x100m relay group to a brand new sixth-place end in the ultimate–after they ran a Canadian document time of 42.50 in the semi-final.
Audrey Leduc sprints to 100m nationwide document in Olympic debut
Jacqueline Madogo (100m, 200m, 4x100m)
After an unconventional transition from the game of soccer to track at 19, Madogo’s first look on the Olympic Games was successful. It’s unusual to attain a private finest as soon as at any main championships, not to mention twice–however the 24-year-old Ottawa native made it look straightforward. After falling wanting reaching the 100m remaining, Madogo shifted her focus to the 200m, working a private finest of twenty-two.78 in the primary spherical, and one other private finest of twenty-two.58 in the repechage spherical–which simply certified her for the semi-final, the place she positioned twentieth.
Similar to Leduc, Madogo’s third and remaining occasion was the 4x100m relay, the place she additionally contributed to the group’s new nationwide document.
Christopher Morales Williams (400m)
Vaughan, Ont.’s Morales Williams capped off a near-perfect season with an outstanding Olympic debut. He took an automatic-qualifying spot in the primary spherical of the boys’s 400m, taking second in his warmth in 44.96. In the semi-final, he took eighth in his warmth, and whereas he had greater targets of creating it into the ultimate, the 20-year-old nonetheless ran away with twenty first in the world. Knowing that he was one of many youngest in the occasion and nonetheless has loads of expertise to realize, Morales Williams is able to put up a good greater battle subsequent time he’s on the world stage.
After signing a six-figure contact with Adidas, Morales Williams shall be competing as knowledgeable sprinter in upcoming seasons (as a substitute of competing in the NCAA) whereas he finishes his diploma in ecology on the University of Georgia.
Savannah Sutherland (400m hurdles)
21-year-old Savannah Sutherland impressed the world by taking seventh in the quickest 400m hurdles race in historical past on Thursday’s remaining in Paris. The Borden, Ont. native ran 53.80 and 53.88 in the semi-finals and finals simply two days aside, each not far off her Canadian document time of 53.26. She adopted this efficiency by exhibiting up as a part of the ladies’s 4x400m relay group, working the second leg in a jaw-dropping cut up of fifty.06. The Canadian girls took sixth place in the ultimate–lower than a second from breaking the nationwide document.
Sutherland shall be returning for her fourth yr on the University of Michigan this fall to finish her pre-med diploma and her remaining years of eligibility competing in the NCAA.
Mariam Abdul-Rashid (100m hurdles)
Abdul-Rashid superior to the semi-final of the 110m hurdles after securing one of many prime three spots in her first spherical warmth. An spectacular effort from the 26-year-old earned her a shiny, new private better of 12.60, however didn’t advance her to the ultimate. It did, nonetheless, depart her extra decided than ever to indicate that her finest is ok to make an Olympic remaining. She’ll be returning subsequent yr to compete on the massive stage in opposition to the deep discipline of opponents in the 110m hurdles–her fast time met the usual for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.
Following their return from Paris, these athletes shall be having fun with well-deserved downtime after a really lengthy season. Their coaching will ramp up in the autumn in preparation for the 2025 season, the place each the indoor and out of doors World Championships are positive to be on their horizon.