Name: Derek Drouin
Born: March 6, 1990, in Sarnia, Ontario
Sport: High jump
What’s his story?
You may remember Drouin from the London 2012 Olympics, where he shared the high jump bronze medal with not one but two fellow competitors. That three-way tie—earned alongside Britain’s Robert Grabarz and Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim—hurled Drouin into the national spotlight. Since then, the 25-year-old from Corunna, Ont., has kept moving, pushing himself to greater heights.
Drouin’s drive has paid off: A five-time NCAA high jump champion (the first ever athlete to achieve that feat), he won bronze at the IAAF World Championships the following year, setting a Canadian high jump record by clearing 2.38 metres. And the payoffs just kept coming: During the 2014 season, Drouin joined a small but elite club of athletes who’ve cleared 2.40 metres. He did so at an outdoor meet in Des Moines, Iowa. Drouin also won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Success in high jump is measured in tiny increments—or rather, it’s determined by tiny increments. The difference between gold and silver, or between bronze and just shy of the podium can be heartbreaking. To watch a high-jumper leap backwards over the bar is to experience the drama of sport at its best: that hold-your-breath moment when you aren’t yet sure if the athlete has triumphed or fallen short. In Toronto at this summer’s Pan Am Games, you’ll get the chance to see Drouin try for gold in what’s set to be a dramatic competition. It’ll be good preparation for the six-foot-five Indiana University alumnus as he sets his sights on this year’s IAAF World Championships in Beijing in August.
Biggest rival
Drouin’s biggest threat at the Pan Ams could well be American Erik Kynard, who won silver ahead of the Canadian at the 2012 Olympics (at present, the USA track and field team nominated to the Pan Am Games has yet to be announced). Drouin will also be competing against countryman Mike Mason of Nanoose Bay, B.C. Mason, whose personal best is a height of 2.31 metres, won bronze at last year’s Commonwealth Games.
Here’s an interesting fact…
Drouin’s sister, Jillian, will also be competing for Canada at the Pan Ams. The 28-year-old will represent Canada in the heptathlon.
Prediction
Drouin has an excellent shot at the top of the podium.
