5. ANDRE DE GRASSE
Reigning NCAA champion De Grasse joined the elite club of the world’s fastest men after clinching a surprise Bronze medal alongside Trayvon Bromell in the men’s 100m final in Beijing. De Grasse’s exploits at the Bird’s Nest Stadium were only an extension of a series of victories the young Canadian had recorded in the course of the year.
The 21-year old dethroned Bromell to win the 2015 NCAA Championships where he clocked scorching wind-assisted times of 9.75s in the 100m and 19.58s in the 200m. Still basking in the euphoria of these successes, he went on to win DOUBLE GOLD at the Pan American Games where he clocked an NR of 19.88s to win the 200m, much to the delight of the home fans.
Despite opting out of his stronger event, the 200m in Beijing, De Grasse still held his own among the league of big names that are synonymous with the sprints. He finished 2nd behind Frenchman Jimmy Vicaut in the heats where he posted 9.99s, and wasn’t fazed by Usain Bolt’s larger than life image in the semis. Instead, De Grasse was motivated to run the same time as the Jamaican legend (9.96s), and almost beat him to the finishing line, if not for Bolt’s wealth of experience which came in handy at the time.
Having nothing to lose, De Grasse ran the race of his life in the final where he set a new PB of 9.92s and was awarded joint 3rd with his rival, Bromell as Bolt took the day with a Season’s Best (SB) of 9.79s, while Gatlin was 2nd 9.80s. The talented athlete recently turned pro by signing a deal with PUMA, Bolt’s sponsors, which demonstrates the level of confidence already being accorded the young sprinter. Without a doubt, the likes of De Grasse would certainly rule the Sprints in the nearest future.
