With a little help from his friends, Andre De Grasse raced into the Canadian record books.
De Grasse anchored Canada to gold in the men’s 4×100-metre relay Friday in Paris.
The Markham, Ont., native De Grasse earned his seventh career medal to tie swimmer Penny Olesiak as Canada’s most decorated Olympian.
De Grasse claimed silver in the men’s 200 metres plus bronze medals in the men’s 100 metres and 4×100-metre relay during his Olympic debut in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
He captured a medal of every colour at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo taking home gold in the men’s 200 metres, silver in the 4×100-metre relay and bronze in the 100 metres.
De Grasse, who has been dealing with a hamstring injury, was eliminated during the semifinal rounds in the 100-m and 200-m events in Paris.
Oleksiak earned her record-breaking seventh medal with a bronze medal in the medley relay in Tokyo to surpass speedskater Cindy Klassen and speedskater/cyclist Clara Hughes, who both have six medals.
Canadian athletes Penny Oleksiak and Andre De Grasse have made history at the Tokyo Olympics by becoming Canada’s most decorated Olympians. Both athletes have now won a total of seven Olympic medals each, tying them for the top spot in Canadian Olympic history.
Penny Oleksiak, a swimmer from Toronto, burst onto the scene at the 2016 Rio Olympics when she won four medals, including a gold in the 100m freestyle. At just 16 years old, she became the first Canadian athlete to win four medals at a single Summer Games. In Tokyo, Oleksiak added to her medal count with a silver in the 200m freestyle, a bronze in the 4x100m freestyle relay, and a bronze in the 4x100m medley relay.
Andre De Grasse, a sprinter from Markham, Ontario, has been a dominant force on the track since his breakout performance at the 2016 Rio Olympics. De Grasse won three medals in Rio – silver in the 200m and bronze in both the 100m and 4x100m relay. In Tokyo, he added to his medal collection with a gold in the 200m, silver in the 100m, and bronze in the 4x100m relay.
Both Oleksiak and De Grasse have shown incredible talent and determination throughout their Olympic careers, solidifying their places as two of Canada’s greatest athletes. Their performances in Tokyo have not only made them household names in Canada but have also cemented their legacies as Olympic legends.
As they continue to compete at the highest level of their respective sports, fans can look forward to seeing even more success from these two incredible athletes. Congratulations to Penny Oleksiak and Andre De Grasse on their historic achievements at the Tokyo Olympics.