The face of Canadian track and field will not be representing Canada at the 2017 International Association of Athletics Federations World Championship in London which starts Friday. Andre De Grasse of Scarborough, Ontario, who won the silver medal for Canada in the men’s 200m and a bronze medal in the men’s 100m and men’s 4x100m at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, has had to pull out of the event because of a hamstring injury that he suffered in practice on Monday.
The news will be a disappointment for some who were anticipating a showdown between De Grasse and eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt of Jamaica. Bolt has also won 11 gold medals in his career at the World Championships.
Even though De Grasse will not be competing in England over the next week, Team Canada has a chance for approximately half a dozen other more medals. The medal hopefuls include 2016 Olympic gold medalist Derek Drouin of Sarnia, Ontario (men’s high jump), 2015 World Championship silver medalist and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Damian Warner of London, Ontario (men’s decathlon), 2015 World Championship silver medalist Melissa Bishop of Eganville, Ontario (women’s 800m), Evan Dunfee of Richmond, British Columbia (4th in the men’s 50km race walk) and 2015 World Championship gold medalist Shawnacy Barber of Toronto, Ontario (men’s pole vault).
