Andre De Grasse shines in 200m at Oslo Diamond League, eyes Usain Bolt’s coveted 200m title at Tokyo Olympics 2020

Canada’s Andre De Grasse stormed to victory in the 200m event at the Bislett Games Diamond League in Oslo on Thursday. The triple Olympic medalist clocked 20.09s to finish at the top of the podium. The Oslo meet proved to be a good testing ground for Andre De Grasse, who has set his eyes on Usain Bolt’s 200m title at the Tokyo Olympics.

The Summer Games will mark the first time since the 2004 Athens Olympics, where a male athlete other than world record holder Bolt will become the 100m or 200m Olympic champion.

“The main thing for me is staying injury free,” Andre De Grasse had told Reuters ahead of Oslo Diamond League. “If I can stay injury free and get to the starting line I know I can accomplish big things.”

Andre De Grasse shocked the world in Rio in 2016

It was not easy to run stride-to-stride with Usain Bolt, arguably the greatest sprinter ever. But when Andre De Grasse did it in the 200m Rio Olympics semifinals, he started a new debate - is he the rightful heir to Bolt’s legacy?

READ: Who is Karsten Warholm? The Norwegian athlete who set the 400m hurdles world record at Oslo Diamond League

Andre De Grasse entered the Rio Games as Canada’s biggest hope for a medal. He advanced to the 200m finals with ease and impressed many by staying level with Usain Bolt.

The duo even smiled at each other before crossing the line. Andre De Grasse settled for silver but his semi-final performance sparked talk of him being Bolt’s heir, a claim the Jamaican legend supported. Bolt said:

“He came through again. He is going to be good, he runs just like me. I mean he is really slow at the blocks but when he gets going, he gets going."

However, the Canadian sprinter went on to miss the majority of the 2017 and 2018 seasons with hamstring injuries. It did not deter his determination as he recovered from his lengthy injuries and returned to professional sprinting in 2019.

As expected from the great man, De Grasse won bronze in 100m and silver in 200m at the 2019 Doha World Championships.

"The last Olympics (2016), I felt like I had a good shot at winning gold. I’ll say the same thing for Tokyo Olympics and probably for the 2024 Paris Games too. That is just my mindset,” Andre De Grasse told Reuters.

Andre De Grasse vs Noah Lyles at Tokyo Olympics

In Tokyo, it won’t be an easy ride for Andre De Grasse. He will face stiff competition from Noah Lyles of the USA, a sprinter who has hardly lost in 200m races since the 2016 US Olympic Trials.

20.09!@De6rasse storms to victory in the men's 200m. #OsloDL #DiamondLeague📷 @matthewquine pic.twitter.com/k7ThD149mb

— Wanda Diamond League (@Diamond_League) July 1, 2021

Lyles, 23, won the 200m final at the recently concluded US Olympic Trials, clocking 19.74, the fastest time in the world this season.

17-year-old Erriyon Knighton will be another challenger Andre De Grasse needs to look out for. The teenager has been in scintillating form and has broken Bolt’s record twice in a month. He clocked 19.84 at the trials.

Oslo Diamond League full results

Men’s 100m

1 Salum Ageze Kashafali (10.58)

2 Filip Boe (10.68)

3 Even Pettersen (10.70)

Men’s 200m

1 Andre De Grasse (20.09)

2 Aaron Brown (20.38)

3 Isaac Makwala (20.61)

READ: Will Neeraj Chopra's solidity help him outshine Shivpal Singh at Tokyo Olympics 2020?

Men’s 3000m

1 Yomif Kejelcha (7:26.25)

2 Jacob Krop (7:30.07)

3 Nicholas Kipkorir Kimeli (7:31.33)

Dream Mile

1 Stewart McSweyn (3:48.37)

2 Marcin Lewandowski (3:49.11)

3 Jye Edwards (3:49.27)

400m Hurdles

1 Karsten Warholm (46.70)

2 Alison Dos Santos (47.38)

3 Yasmani Copello (48.86)

Men's Discus Throw

1 Daniel Stahl (68.65)

2 Kristjan Ceh (66.68)

3 Kukal Weibhaidinger (65.67)

Men's Pole Vault

1 Armand Duplantis (6.01)

2 Sam Kendricks (5.91)

3 Renaud Lavellenie (5.81)

Men's Triple Jump

1 Yasser Mohamed Triki (17.24)

2 Andy Diaz (16.78)

3 Tiago Pereira (16.64)

Women's 100m

1 Marie-Josee Ta Lou (10.91)

2 Dayll Neita (11.06)

3 Ajla Del Ponte (11.16)

Women's 800m

1 Kate Grace (1:57.60)

2 Halimah Nakaayi (1:58.70)

3 Lore Hoffman (1:59.06)

Women's 5000m

1 Hallen Obiri (14:26.38)

2 Fantu Worku (14:26.80)

3 Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi (14:28.24)

Women's 400m hurdles

1 Femke Bol (53.33)

2 Anna Ryzhykova (54.15)

3 Viktoriya Tkachuk (54.62)

Women's Javelin Throw

1 Christin Hussong (62.62)

2 Maria Andrejczyk (62.67)

3 Kelsey-Lee Barber (60.86)

Women's Long Jump

1 Malaika Mihambo (6.86)

2 Ivana Spanovic (6.66)

3 Nastassia Morinchykivanova (6.72)