Justin Trudeau wants to make sure American sprinters don’t forget what they were saying about Canada’s relay team back in May.
The Prime Minister took to X (formerly Twitter) after Canada struck gold in the Olympic 4×100-metre men’s relay on Friday to take a little jab at the Americans.
Trudeau wrote “sorry” with a gold-medal emoji above a video of American sprinter Noah Lyles being interviewed after his team beat out runner-up Canada at the World Athletics relays in May.
In the video posted by Ben Steiner of CBC Olympics, U.S. star Noah Lyles was asked by a reporter if he was looking forward to a budding rivalry with Canada heading toward the Olympics.
“Who?” Lyles asked the reporter.
“Canada,” the reporter replied.
“Who?” Lyles said again, prompting laughter from his teammates.
Lyles did not end up running in the Olympic relay after he battled through COVID-19 to win bronze in the 200 metres on Thursday. He had to be helped off the track by medics.
Earlier in the Olympics, Lyles won the 100 metres in a photo finish.
In the relay, the Americans were disqualified after a botched handoff.
“It’s a little disappointing, especially for America, because we wanted to bring it home,” American Christian Coleman said, per NBC. “We knew we had the speed to do it … but we are human beings, too. We’ve been through ups and downs in life. This is just another one of those times where we just got to keep our head down and just keep pushing.”
After Canada’s Olympic relay victory in Tokyo, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau couldn’t resist poking fun at our neighbors to the south. In a lighthearted moment during a press conference, Trudeau quipped, “Looks like the Americans are following Canada’s lead for once!”
The Canadian team’s impressive performance in the relay event certainly gave us all something to cheer about. The athletes showed incredible skill and determination, and their hard work paid off with a well-deserved victory. Trudeau’s playful jab at the Americans was all in good fun, but it also highlighted the friendly rivalry that exists between our two countries when it comes to sports.
It’s no secret that Canada and the United States have a long history of competing against each other in various sporting events. From hockey to basketball to track and field, our athletes have faced off against each other on numerous occasions. And while there may be some friendly banter and teasing along the way, at the end of the day, it’s all in the spirit of competition and camaraderie.
Trudeau’s joke about the Americans following Canada’s lead may have been a playful jab, but it also serves as a reminder of the talent and dedication of our Canadian athletes. As we continue to cheer them on in Tokyo and beyond, let’s celebrate their achievements and show our support for Team Canada. And who knows, maybe we’ll even inspire our American friends to step up their game and give us a run for our money in the next Olympic Games!