By Canadian Press

Canadian sprinter De Grasse done for season with hamstring injury

Jul 9, 2018 | 10:00 AM

OTTAWA — Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse will not race again this season after suffering a right hamstring strain.

De Grasse suffered the injury while competing in the 200 metre semifinal Saturday at the Canadian track and field championships, causing him to slow to a walk over the final 30 metres of the race.

According to a statement from Brian Levine, who is De Grasse’s brand manager with Toronto-based Envision Sports & Entertainment, the sprinter had an MRI on Sunday that revealed a grade 1 strain in his right hamstring.

While the injury is not considered serious, De Grasse’s camp felt it best to shut the sprinter down for the remainder of a quiet season with no major championships. The track-and-field schedule gets far busier over the next three years with world championships in 2019 and 2021 and the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

“I never want to hit the track and put out a performance that is less than my best, but if it has to happen, this is the year for it to happen,” De Grasse said in the statement. 

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The three-time Olympic medallist had a late start to the season after suffering a more serious right hamstring strain while training for the 2017 world championships in London.

He looked solid on his road to recovery at the Canadian championships, placing third in Friday’s night 100 metres in 10.20 seconds. He was considered a threat to reach the podium in the 200 before his latest setback.

The injury means De Grasse will not be able to compete at the upcoming North American, Central American and Caribbean championships in Toronto.

“I was looking forward to representing Canada at ‘Track & Field in the 6ix’ in front of the hometown crowd at the NACAC championships, but instead I will have to be there cheering for my Canadian teammates and contributing to the excitement off the track,” he said.

It’s been a happier year off the track for De Grasse, who became a dad last month when his girlfriend gave birth to a baby girl.

“I believe the issues I’ve faced these past 12 months have made me hungrier,” he said. “I will heal quickly from this injury. I will go be with my daughter and focus on being a dad for the next few weeks as I heal, and I will plan to come back stronger than ever.”

The Canadian Press