BERLIN — Andre De Grasse took another big step in his comeback on Sunday, while Britt Crew continued to rewrite her Canadian shot put record.
De Grasse, a triple Olympic medallist from Markham, Ont., raced to a season’s best time of 9.97 seconds to win an IAAF World Challenge meet, while fellow Canadian Aaron Brown was fourth.
The 24-year-old De Grasse, who was sidelined for the better part of the past two seasons with hamstring injuries, edged Akani Simbine of South Africa (9.99) and Tyquendo Tracey of Jamaica (10.06). Toronto’s Brown finished in 10.08, while Gavin Smellie of Brampton, Ont., was sixth in 10.23.
"This was like a comeback for me, definitely," De Grasse said. "I am coming back from injury. My partner (American hurdler) Nia Ali os coming back from a baby, and we both made the (world championship) team. That feels good.
"This race gives me a good time before I race in Doha."
De Grasse’s victory sets the scene for what could be a thrilling battle at the world championships which begin Sept. 28 in Doha.
Brown is the two-time reigning Canadian champion in the 100, beating De Grasse at the national meet last month in Montreal. De Grasse owned the Canadian 100 title between 2015 and ’17.
Crew, from Mississauga, Ont., threw 19.28 metres in the sixth round to crush her Canadian shot put record of 19.07 metres. Crew, who won gold, had already broken the record with a throw of 19.20 in the second round.
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