Andre De Grasse

Early life and introduction to track

Andre De Grasse was born on 10 November 1994 in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough, Ontario. His mother, Beverley De Grasse, was a high school sprinter in Trinidad and Tobago before immigrating to Canada at age 26, while his father, Alexander Waithe, moved from Barbados to Canada as a teenager. De Grasse was raised in Markham, Ontario, where he attended St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Catholic Elementary School and later Mother Teresa Catholic School until grade eight. It was at Mother Teresa in 2006 that he won his first-ever race, providing an early hint of his athletic potential. He later attended Father Michael McGivney Catholic Academy and Milliken Mills High School, where he initially focused on basketball, even playing against future NBA star Andrew Wiggins of Vaughan Secondary School.

His trajectory shifted dramatically during his first high school track meet at the York Region Championships. De Grasse ran wearing basketball shorts and borrowed spikes, ignored the starting blocks, and used a standing start. Despite this clear inexperience, he finished second in the 100 metre final with a time of 10.91 seconds, third in the 200 metres with 22.64, and seventh in the long jump with a leap of 5.88 metres. His raw talent was spotted by future coach and Olympic medallist Tony Sharpe, who was impressed that De Grasse achieved such results without proper technique or attire. Sharpe invited the teenager to join the Speed Academy in Pickering, Ontario, where De Grasse began formal training. His performances at that meet qualified him for the Ontario Championships, where he placed fifth in the 100 metre final, solidifying his commitment to the sport. Before that, he had finished fourth in the 100m and tenth in the 200m at the Ontario Central Championships.

Collegiate career and breakthrough

De Grasse's post-secondary track career began at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas in 2013 before he transferred to the University of Southern California (USC) for the 2015 season. Competing for the USC Trojans, he quickly announced himself on the national stage. In May 2015, he won the Pac-12 championship in the 100 metres with a legal time of 9.97 seconds, becoming the first Canadian to break the 10-second barrier since Bruny Surin in 1999. He also broke the Canadian record in the 200 metres with a time of 20.03 seconds during the conference meet and ran 20.05 in the final. His performances at the NCAA Championships that June captured global attention, as he won both the 100 and 200 metre titles ahead of favourite Trayvon Bromell of Baylor University. His wind-aided times of 9.75 and 19.58 seconds, though not legal for record purposes, demonstrated extraordinary speed and competitive drive. After the race, he openly contemplated greater goals, asking himself 'world champion? Olympic champion? Why not me?' and stated that track was fun and he expected to keep getting better.

Rise to international prominence (2015 to 2016)

The 2015 season marked De Grasse's arrival as a world-class sprinter. After winning the Canadian national 100 metre title with a personal best of 9.95 seconds, he competed at the Pan American Games in Toronto. He won gold in the 100 metres with a time of 10.05 seconds, later saying the home crowd gave him an extra boost of energy. He then doubled with a gold in the 200 metres, setting a new Canadian record of 19.88 seconds. This made him the first Canadian in history to run both a sub-10-second 100 metres and a sub-20-second 200 metres. He appeared to win a third gold as part of the 4x100 metre relay team that set a Games record of 38.06 seconds, but the Canadian squad was disqualified two hours later for a lane infringement by teammate Gavin Smellie. His success continued at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, where he won an individual bronze medal in the 100 metres with a new personal best of 9.92 seconds, tying with Trayvon Bromell. He became the first Canadian to win a medal in the event since 1999. He added a second bronze medal as part of Canada's 4x100 metre relay team, running with Aaron Brown, Brendon Rodney, and Justyn Warner to clock 38.13 seconds. Based on this meteoric rise, De Grasse turned professional in December 2015, signing a landmark endorsement deal with Puma reported to be worth $11.25 million.

De Grasse carried significant expectations into the 2016 Rio Olympics. In the 100 metres, he advanced smoothly to the final, running 10.04 in his heat and equalling his personal best of 9.92 in the semi-finals. He won the bronze medal in the final with another personal best of 9.91 seconds, finishing behind Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin. This medal was the first for a Canadian male athlete at those Games, with former champion Donovan Bailey celebrating in the CBC studio. His semifinal race alongside Bolt, where the two smiled as they crossed the line together, became a widely discussed moment and sparked talk of De Grasse as Bolt's potential successor. In the 200 metres, De Grasse again faced Bolt in the semifinals, pushing the champion in a move he later said was a tactic to tire him out before the final, a strategy Bolt did not appear to appreciate. De Grasse set a Canadian record of 19.80 seconds in that semi and went on to win the silver medal in the final with a time of 20.02 seconds, claiming Canada's first Olympic medal in the event since Percy Williams in 1928. He anchored the Canadian 4x100 metre relay team, making up about four metres on Japan and the United States from sixth place. The team initially finished fourth but was awarded the bronze medal after the United States was disqualified for a zone violation, setting a new national record of 37.64 seconds. With three medals, he became the first Canadian sprinter to achieve that feat at a single Olympics.

Injury challenges and comeback (2017 to 2019)

The 2017 season began promisingly with Diamond League wins over 100m in Oslo and Stockholm and 200m wins in Rome and Rabat. His wind-aided time of 9.69 seconds in Stockholm, though illegal, was the fourth fastest in history under any conditions. With Bolt choosing to forego the 200m, De Grasse was considered a strong favourite for the world title in London. His main goal was to beat Bolt in the 100m before his retirement after the championships. After winning both the 100m and 200m national titles, De Grasse was in contention to attempt the same double in London. However, just days before the world championships, De Grasse strained his hamstring and was forced to pull out of both events, ending his season. Earlier that season, a planned face-off with Bolt in Monaco was cancelled, with De Grasse's coach suggesting Bolt's team was involved, unwilling to see De Grasse potentially defeat him before the championships. The injury carried into the 2018 season, forcing him to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games after being named to the team. He struggled in Diamond League meets, finishing sixth in the 200m in Doha and eighth in the 100m in Shanghai. He was unable to defend his national 100m title, settling for third in 10.20 seconds, and pulled up with another hamstring injury during the 200m heats at nationals, ending his year as the crowd cheered him walking to the finish line. Following these setbacks, De Grasse left his training group at ALTIS in Arizona and moved to Jacksonville, Florida, to train under coach Rana Reider.

De Grasse's return to form in 2019 was a demonstration of his resilience. After initial struggles, he finished second to Aaron Brown in the 200m at the Diamond League in Shanghai. A month later, he won his first Diamond League victory in two years in the 200 metres in Rabat, beating the reigning world champion Ramil Guliyev. He ultimately finished on the podium in five of seven 100m events and all six 200m races in the lead-up to the World Championships. He beat Christian Coleman at the Ostrava Golden Spike in the 200m with 19.91 and broke 10 seconds for the first time in three years at the Diamond League in London. At the national championships, he nearly beat Brown in the 100m, the two clocking 10.03 and being separated by thousandths of a second. At the World Championships in Doha, he won the bronze medal in the 100 metres with yet another personal best of 9.90 seconds after winning his semi-final ahead of Justin Gatlin and Yohan Blake. He followed this with a silver medal in the 200 metres behind Noah Lyles, clocking 19.95 seconds. This was the first World Championship medal for a Canadian in the 200 metres since Atlee Mahorn in 1991. Although the Canadian 4x100 metre relay team set a season's best of 37.91 seconds, they finished eighth overall and did not qualify for the final.

Olympic champion and sustained excellence (2020 to 2024)

The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the Tokyo 2020 Olympics by a year, and De Grasse opened his 2021 season on 17 April at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational, running 9.99 seconds. He entered the Games with measured expectations despite some inconsistent early-season results where his 100m times were over ten seconds in Diamond League races, though he had success in the 200m with a win in Oslo in 20.09. Former champion Donovan Bailey dismissed concerns about his times, stating he was more concerned that De Grasse was injury-free and consistent. In the Olympic 100 metres, he ran a season-best 9.91 seconds in the heats and advanced to the final, where he claimed the bronze medal with a new personal best of 9.89 seconds from the unfavourable lane nine. This made him the first Canadian man to win multiple Olympic medals in the 100 metres and was Canada's fourteenth medal of the Tokyo Games, ending a drought of medals for Canadian men. His focus then shifted to the 200 metres, where he set a national record of 19.73 seconds in the semifinals after qualifying from his heat with 20.56. In the final, De Grasse delivered a historic performance, winning the gold medal in a Canadian record time of 19.62 seconds, making him the eighth-fastest man of all time at that point. This victory ended a 25-year gold medal drought for Canada in track events and was the first Canadian gold in the 200 metres since Percy Williams in 1928. He was the only male sprinter to compete in both the 100 and 200m races in Tokyo.

Hours after his 200m gold, De Grasse competed in the heats of the 4x100 metre relay with Aaron Brown, Jerome Blake and Brendon Rodney. Taking the anchor leg from approximately fifth place, he brought the team to second by two-thousandths of a second behind China. In the final, he again anchored, taking Canada from fifth to the bronze medal position, securing his sixth Olympic medal. This bronze was later upgraded to a silver when the team from Great Britain was disqualified, tying him with Cindy Klassen and Clara Hughes at the time. De Grasse continued to build his legacy at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, where he won a gold medal as part of the Canadian 4x100 metre relay team. He entered the 2024 Paris Olympics as a co-opening ceremony flag bearer for Canada. Despite battling a hamstring injury during the Games, he anchored the Canadian men's 4x100 metre relay team to a dramatic gold medal victory in 37.50 seconds. This seventh Olympic medal officially tied him with Penny Oleksiak as Canada's most decorated Olympian of all time. His career consistency is remarkable, as he won a medal in every Olympic and World Championship final he competed in from 2015 until the 2023 World Championships.

Recent competition, records and national titles

Andre De Grasse has maintained his competitive presence into the 2026 season, continuing to vie for national titles and compete on the international circuit. In 2026, he claimed the Canadian 100 metre title at the Canadian Track and Field Championships in Ottawa, winning in a time of 10.09 seconds despite rainy conditions. He also secured a 200 metre victory at the 2026 Boris Hanžeković Memorial meet. His season's bests for 2026 are listed in athlete profiles for the 100 metres, 200 metres, and relay events. These performances demonstrate his enduring speed and commitment to representing Canada at the highest level, even as he balances his career with mentoring the next generation of athletes.

De Grasse's career achievements and records place him among the greatest sprinters in Canadian history. He is the current Canadian record holder in the 200 metres with his 19.62 second run from Tokyo, which also made him the eleventh fastest man in history over the distance. He set a wind-aided 9.69 seconds in Stockholm in 2017, which is the fourth fastest time ever run under any conditions. His legal personal best in the 100m is 9.89 seconds from the Tokyo 2020 final. He has broken the Canadian 200m record on multiple occasions, progressing from 19.88 in 2015 to 19.80 in 2016, 19.73 in 2021, and finally 19.62. He also won three gold medals at the 2013 Canada Games in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay, an early sign of his multi-event prowess.

• Seven-time Olympic medallist (2 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze).
• Five-time World Athletics Championships medallist (1 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze).
• Double Pan American Games champion (100 m and 200 m, 2015).
• NCAA champion in the 100 m and 200 m (2015).
• Canadian record holder in the 200 m (19.62 seconds).
• First Canadian sprinter to win three medals in a single Olympics.
• First Canadian man to win multiple Olympic medals in the 100 m.
• First Canadian to run both a sub-10 second 100m and sub-20 second 200m.

Andre De Grasse has consistently delivered personal bests and national records on the sport's biggest stages. He set a new personal best of 9.91 seconds to win bronze in the 100 m final at the 2016 Rio Olympics. At the same Games, he set a new Canadian record of 19.80 seconds in the 200 m semifinals. He won the 200 m gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with a Canadian record time of 19.62 seconds, making him the eleventh fastest man in history over that distance. He also set personal bests of 9.92 seconds in 2015 and 9.90 seconds in 2019 on his way to World Championship bronze medals in the 100 m.

Off the track: Foundation, authorship and recognition

Beyond his athletic accomplishments, Andre De Grasse is deeply committed to community and youth development. He established the Andre De Grasse Family Foundation with a mission to empower youth to use competitive sport as a platform for academic success and to become healthy, productive citizens. A key initiative is the Andre De Grasse Future Champions Scholarship Program, which provides support and services to high school student-athletes, using a blueprint similar to the one that propelled De Grasse himself. The program aims to help athletes maximize their athletic ability in pursuit of academic success and the opportunity to realize their potential. Applicants apply online for the scholarship. The program has grown significantly, with the 2023 class featuring 16 athletes who earned national team selections and medals at events like the NACAC U18 Championships. The 2024 class had 11 returning athletes and one national team representative, while the 2025 class is the largest yet with 25 recipients, 13 of whom are new. For the 2025/26 cycle, twenty-four student-athletes are supported, with 12 returning from the previous year.

De Grasse is also a bestselling author, having written 'Ignite: Unlock The Hidden Potential Within,' which shares his insights on determination, resilience, and peak performance. He is a sought-after speaker for panels and in-conversation events, where he discusses his journey, performance mindset, and themes of reflection and gratitude. In 2023, his contributions to sport and community were recognized with an appointment to the Order of Ontario. In his personal life, he is a proud father of three with his partner, American hurdler and world champion Nia Ali. He attributes his success to the support of his coaches, family, and medical team, stating each played a role in getting him to where he is today. His story continues to motivate audiences across Canada, and he has served as an inspirational voice for Team Canada's winter athletes heading toward the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics.

Questions about Andre De Grasse

How many Olympic medals does Andre De Grasse have?

Andre De Grasse has won seven Olympic medals. His haul includes two gold medals (200m in 2020, 4x100m relay in 2024), two silver medals (200m in 2016, 4x100m relay in 2020), and three bronze medals (100m in 2016 and 2020, 4x100m relay in 2016). This total ties him with swimmer Penny Oleksiak as Canada's most decorated Olympian of all time. He is the first Canadian sprinter to win three medals in a single Olympic Games, achieving that in both 2016 and 2020.

What is Andre De Grasse's Canadian record?

Andre De Grasse holds the Canadian record in the 200 metres. He set the current record of 19.62 seconds when he won the gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This performance also made him the eighth-fastest man in history over the distance at the time, and he is now ranked eleventh fastest all-time. He has broken the Canadian 200m record on four major occasions: 19.88 at the 2015 Pan Am Games, 19.80 at the 2016 Olympics, 19.73 at the 2020 Olympics, and finally 19.62 in the Tokyo final.

How did Andre De Grasse get discovered for track and field?

De Grasse was discovered almost by accident during his first high school track meet at the York Region Championships. He ran in basketball shorts and borrowed spikes, using a standing start instead of blocks and finishing second in the 100 metres with a time of 10.91 seconds. His raw talent was spotted by former Olympic medallist Tony Sharpe, who was impressed by the results given the lack of proper technique and racing attire. Sharpe invited him to join the Speed Academy in Pickering, Ontario, which launched his formal track career. All three events at that meet were won by his future Olympic teammate Bolade Ajomale.

What is the Andre De Grasse Future Champions Scholarship Program?

The Andre De Grasse Future Champions Scholarship Program is an initiative of his family foundation that supports high school student-athletes. It aims to use a blueprint similar to De Grasse's own journey, providing resources to help athletes maximize their athletic ability while pursuing academic success and university opportunities. The program awards scholarships and has supported dozens of young athletes. The 2025 class had 25 recipients. Scholars have achieved notable success, including national team selections, medals at international U18 and U20 events, and admission to universities such as the University of Maryland, Coastal Carolina University, and the University of Alberta.

Did Andre De Grasse beat Usain Bolt?

Andre De Grasse never beat Usain Bolt in an Olympic final. In their head-to-head Olympic races at the 2016 Rio Games, De Grasse won bronze behind Bolt's gold in the 100 metres, and silver behind Bolt's gold in the 200 metres. However, in the 100m semi-final they clocked the same time of 9.96 seconds, with Bolt just thousandths ahead, and in the 200m semi-final De Grasse rushed to Bolt's shoulder, prompting an exchange of smiles as they crossed together. De Grasse's stated tactic in the 200m semi was to push Bolt to potentially tire him before the final, a move Bolt later commented on negatively.

What did Andre De Grasse win at the 2024 Paris Olympics?

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Andre De Grasse won a gold medal as a member of the Canadian men's 4x100 metre relay team. Serving as the co-opening ceremony flag bearer for Canada, he then anchored the relay team to victory with a time of 37.50 seconds. This victory was particularly dramatic as he was battling a hamstring injury during the Games. This seventh Olympic medal officially tied him with Penny Oleksiak for the title of Canada's most decorated Olympian, a status he first achieved after his three-medal performance in Tokyo.

Sources and further reading

• Andre De Grasse (Wikipedia)
• Andre De Grasse Future Champions Scholarship Program (athletics.ca)
• Andre De Grasse | Sprint Superstar | Olympian (nsb.com)

Checked by the Garbutt Disposal desk. Last updated 2026-10-29.