RIO DE JANEIRO – Star Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse has cruised to the semifinals of the men’s 100 metres at the Rio Olympics.
The Markham, Ont., runner was slow out of the blocks but turned it on in the final 50 metres to finish first in his heat in a time of 10.04 seconds.
The semifinals and final are set for Sunday night.
Defending champion Usain Bolt of Jamaica ran 10.07 to win his heat.
FULL COVERAGE: Rio 2016
De Grasse will be the lone Canadian in the semis after Toronto’s Aaron Brown (10.24) and Calgary’s Akeem Haynes (10.22) failed to advance.
De Grasse won a surprise bronze medal at the world championships last year.
WATCH Some call the Men’s 100-metre race the most exciting 10 seconds in sport, but it’s been close to two decades since Canada has had a contender in the race. At the Rio Olympics, however, 21-year-old Andre De Grasse is rising to the occasion. Allison Vuchnich has his story.
Meantime, Brianne Theisen-Eaton was fifth after five events of the heptathlon. The Humbolt, Sask., native has 4,872 total points, 146 off leader Nafissatou Thiam of Belgium, with two events to go.
Earlier, Genevieve Lalonde of Moncton, N.B., broke the Canadian record in women’s 3,000-metre steeplechase to qualify for the final, finishing in 9:30.24.
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