Andre De Grasse facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Andre De Grasse

De Grasse at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon, U.S.
Personal information
Born	(1994-11-10) November 10, 1994 (age 30) Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Height	176 cm
Weight	70 kg
Sport
Country	Canada
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	Sprints
College team	USC Trojans (2015), Coffeyville Red Ravens (2013–2014)
Club	ALTIS (2015–2018)
Team	Puma
Coached by	John Coghlan (since 2022) Rana Reider (2018–2022) Stuart McMillan (2015–2018)
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	60 m: 6.60i (Lincoln, 2015) 100 m: 9.89 (Tokyo, 2021) 200 m: 19.62 NR (Tokyo, 2021)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  Canada Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 2 2 3 World Championships 1 1 3 World Relays 1 1 0 Olympic Games Gold 2020 Tokyo 200 m Gold 2024 Paris 4×100 m relay Silver 2016 Rio de Janeiro 200 m Silver 2020 Tokyo 4×100 m relay Bronze 2016 Rio de Janeiro 100 m Bronze 2016 Rio de Janeiro 4×100 m relay Bronze 2020 Tokyo 100 m World Championships Gold 2022 Eugene 4×100 m relay Silver 2019 Doha 200 m Bronze 2015 Beijing 100 m Bronze 2015 Beijing 4×100 m relay Bronze 2019 Doha 100 m World Athletics Relays Gold 2017 Nassau 4×200 m relay Silver 2024 Nassau 4×100 m relay Diamond League 2023 200 m Pan American Games Gold 2015 Toronto 100 m Gold 2015 Toronto 200 m Pan American Junior Championships Silver 2013 Medellín 100 m Bronze 2013 Medellín 200 m

Andre De Grasse (born November 10, 1994) is a famous Canadian sprinter. He has won seven Olympic medals, making him one of Canada's most successful athletes. Andre is the 2020 Olympic champion in the 200-meter race. He also earned a silver medal in the 200m at the 2016 Olympics.

He won another silver medal in the 4×100 relay at the 2020 Games. Andre has three Olympic bronze medals, finishing third in the 100m race in both 2016 and 2020. He also won a bronze in the 4×100m relay in 2016. De Grasse won his second Olympic gold medal as part of the 4×100m relay team at the 2024 Summer Olympics. This win tied him with swimmer Penny Oleksiak as Canada's most decorated Olympians ever.

At the World Athletics Championships, Andre won a gold medal with the Canadian 4×100 relay team in 2022. He also earned a bronze medal in the same event in 2015. Individually, he has three World Championship medals. He won silver in the 200m in 2019 in Doha. He also took two bronzes in the 100m in 2015 and 2019.

Andre was also a double champion at the Pan American Games. He was also the NCAA champion in both the 100m and 200m races. He holds the Canadian record for the 200m. He ran it in 19.62 seconds in Tokyo, making him one of the fastest men in history over that distance.

De Grasse is the first Canadian sprinter to win three medals in one Olympics. This is more than other Canadian sprinters like Donovan Bailey and Percy Williams. His gold medal at the 2020 Olympics was Canada's first Olympic track gold in 25 years. It was also the first in the 200m in 93 years. He has consistently won medals in Olympic and World Championship finals from 2015 until 2023.

Early Life and First Steps in Running

Andre De Grasse was born in Scarborough, Ontario, a part of Toronto. His mother, Beverley De Grasse, was a sprinter in Trinidad and Tobago. His father, Alexander Waithe, moved from Barbados. Andre grew up in Markham, Ontario. He won his first race in 2006 while attending Mother Teresa Catholic School.

In high school, Andre first played basketball. One time, he even played against future NBA star Andrew Wiggins. In his very first high school track race, Andre ran in basketball shorts and borrowed shoes. He didn't even use the starting blocks! Despite this, he finished second in the 100m race. A coach named Tony Sharpe noticed his amazing natural talent. Sharpe invited Andre to join a track club called Speed Academy. This is where his journey in sprinting truly began.

At the 2013 Canada Games, Andre won three gold medals. He won in the 100m, 200m, and the 4×100-meter relay.

College Career and Big Wins

Andre went to Coffeyville Community College in 2013 and 2014. Then, he moved to the USC for his junior year in 2015.

While at USC, Andre ran the 100m in 9.97 seconds. This was his first time running under 10 seconds. He became the first Canadian to do this since Bruny Surin. In the 200m, he broke the Canadian record with a time of 20.03 seconds. Andre gained worldwide attention at the NCAA Championships. He won both the 100m and 200m races. After these wins, he felt inspired. He asked himself, "World champion? Olympic champion? Why not me?"

Andre's Amazing Athletics Career

2015: Pan Am Games and World Stage

After winning the Canadian 100m title, Andre competed in the 2015 Pan American Games in his home province of Ontario. He won the gold medal in the 100m. The home crowd cheered him on, giving him extra energy. He also won gold in the 200m, setting a new national record of 19.88 seconds. This made him the first Canadian to run both a sub-10 second 100m and a sub-20 second 200m. His team also won the 4x100m relay, but they were later disqualified due to a small mistake.

Next, Andre went to the 2015 World Championships in Athletics in Beijing. He almost beat Usain Bolt in the semifinals. In the final, Andre tied for the bronze medal in the 100m. He set a new personal best of 9.92 seconds. This was Canada's first medal in the 100m since 1999. He also won a second bronze medal in the 4×100m relay with his Canadian teammates. In December 2015, Andre became a professional athlete. He signed a big deal with Puma.

2016: Olympic Glory in Rio

Andre had a bit of a slow start in 2016. But he quickly got back on track. He won the 200m in Birmingham and the 100m in Oslo. He then qualified for Canada's Olympic team.

De Grasse and Bolt after running the 100 m final at the 2016 Olympics

At the Rio Olympics, Andre was a big hope for Canada. He easily reached the finals of the 100m. In the semifinals, he ran right next to Usain Bolt. They even smiled at each other as they crossed the finish line. Andre won the bronze medal in the final with a new personal best of 9.91 seconds. He was the first Canadian man to win a medal at these Olympics. Many people started saying he could be the next Usain Bolt.

In the 200m, Andre again ran beside Bolt in the semifinals. Andre tried to push Bolt, and they shared another famous smile. Andre set a new Canadian record of 19.80 seconds. In the final, Andre won the silver medal. This was Canada's first medal in the 200m since 1928.

Andre also ran the last part of the 4x100m relay. He made an amazing comeback, helping Canada set a new national record. The Canadian team was first awarded bronze after another team was disqualified.

2017-2018: Injuries and Comeback

In 2017, Andre had a strong start to the season. He won several races in the Diamond League. He was a favorite to win the world title in London. However, just days before the World Championships, Andre strained his hamstring. This injury forced him to miss the events. It also meant he couldn't race against Usain Bolt before Bolt retired.

In 2018, Andre continued to struggle with his hamstring injury. He had to withdraw from the 2018 Commonwealth Games. He finished lower in races and eventually ended his season early due to another hamstring injury. After this, he changed coaches to work with Rana Reider.

2019: Strong Return to the Podium

After his injuries, Andre slowly started to get back to his best in 2019. He won his first Diamond League race in two years in Rabat. He also beat strong competitors like Christian Coleman. He started running under 10 seconds in the 100m again.

At the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Andre showed he was back. He won his semifinal in the 100m. In the final, he won a bronze medal with a new personal best of 9.90 seconds. He then competed in the 200m and won the silver medal. This was Canada's first World Championship medal in the 200m since 1991.

2021: Olympic Gold in Tokyo

The COVID-19 pandemic caused many events to be canceled in 2020. The 2020 Summer Olympics were also delayed. Andre started his 2021 season well. He won a Diamond League event in Oslo.

At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Andre was a top medal contender for Canada. He easily won his 100m heat with a fast time. In the final, he started a bit slow but finished strong. He won his second bronze medal in the 100m, setting a new personal best of 9.89 seconds. This was Canada's first medal won by a male athlete at those Games.

Andre then competed in the 200m. He set a new personal best and national record in the semi-final. Then, in the final, he won the gold medal! He ran in a Canadian record time of 19.62 seconds. This made him the 8th fastest man of all time in the 200m. It was Canada's first track gold medal since 1996 and first 200m gold since 1928.

Hours after his gold, Andre ran the last part of the 4x100m relay. He helped the Canadian team go from fifth place to the bronze medal. This was his sixth Olympic medal. This bronze was later upgraded to a silver medal.

After the Olympics, Andre continued to do well. He won the 100m at the Prefontaine Classic. He called it the end of "my greatest season ever."

2022: World Relay Champion

The 2022 season was tough for Andre. He had a foot injury and got COVID-19 for the second time. This made training difficult.

Despite his health issues, he competed at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon. He didn't make the final in the 100m, which was unusual for him. He also decided not to run the 200m. However, he was ready for the 4x100m relay. The Canadian team surprised everyone by winning the gold medal! Andre ran the final part of the race. He helped Canada beat the strong American team. This was his first major relay gold medal. It also broke the national record he had helped set at the Rio Olympics.

Andre De Grasse after he ran the anchor leg to win the 4×100m relay at the World Championships in Oregon.

2023: Diamond League Title

After the 2022 season, Andre moved to Orlando to train with a new coach, John Coghlan. He wanted a fresh start. He struggled a bit at the beginning of the season.

At the Canadian Championships, he won the 200m race. This helped him qualify for the 2023 World Athletics Championships. In the 200m final at the World Championships, Andre finished sixth. This was the first time he didn't win a medal in a World or Olympic final.

However, Andre ended his season on a high note. He won the 2023 Diamond League title for the 200m. He ran one of the fastest times of his career. He was the first Canadian sprinter to win a Diamond League title.

2024: More Olympic Gold

Andre decided to return to his former coach, Rana Reider, for the 2024 season. He said it was a family decision. He worked hard to get ready for the Olympics.

At the 2024 World Athletics Relays in May, he won a silver medal with the Canadian 4×100m relay team. This helped them qualify for the Olympics.

Andre was chosen as Canada's co-flagbearer for the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. His individual races were tough. He didn't make the finals in the 100m or 200m.

But in the 4×100m relay, the Canadian team surprised everyone again. They ran their best time of the season and won the gold medal! This was a huge upset victory. Andre earned his seventh Olympic medal, tying the Canadian record. With two Olympic gold medals, he is now considered one of the greatest Canadian Olympic sprinters ever.

Giving Back and Public Life

In 2016, Andre started the Andre De Grasse Holiday Classic Basketball Tournament. This event raises money for his Andre De Grasse Family Foundation. He also takes part in a basketball tournament called "Holiday Classic at Markham" every year. All the money from this event goes to his foundation.

Personal Life

Andre is married to American hurdler Nia Ali. They have two daughters, Yuri and another child born in 2021.

Awards and Honours

Andre's success at the Olympics brought him many awards. In 2016, he won the Lionel Conacher Award as Canada's male athlete of the year. The IAAF gave him the Rising Star Award. In 2017, he received a Harry Jerome Award. In 2022, Andre De Grasse was made a member of the Order of Ontario.

Images for kids

• 

  Andre De Grasse after he ran the anchor leg to win the 4×100m relay at the World Championships in Oregon.

• 

  De Grasse and Bolt after running the 100 m final at the 2016 Olympics

• 

  De Grasse at the 2019 ISTAF Berlin

See Also

• List of Canadian sports personalities