From left, Benjamin Azamati from Ghana, Andre De Grasse from Canada and Akani Simbine from South Africa compete in the men's 100 metere race during the Diamond League Bislett Games, in Oslo, Norway, Thursday, June 16, 2022. Canadian Olympian sprinters will take to the track as the semifinals and finals of the men's and women's 100 metres will take place at the Canadian Track and Field Championship Friday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Stian Lysberg Solum/NTB Scanpix
LANGLEY, B.C. – Aaron Brown won his fifth straight men’s 100-metre national title with a time of 10.08 seconds at the Canadian Track and Field Championships on Friday.
Brendon Rodney finished second in the event (10.12), closely followed by fellow Olympians Bismark Boateng (10.17) and Jerome Blake (10.19).
“I’ve had championships go down to the wire and I was used to it and it was the moment I lived for,” Brown said, standing next to his son Kingsley.
Six-time Olympic medallist Andre De Grasse failed to qualify for the men’s 100 final.
De Grasse finished ninth among the semifinalists with a time of 10.21 seconds. With that, he has yet to meet the qualifying standard – with the window closing Sunday – for next month’s world championships in the 100.
“His season is his season and mine is mine,” said Brown. “I know he’ll bounce back. He’s a champion.”
Damian Warner – the reigning Olympic champion in the decathlon – failed to qualify for the men’s 400 after missing the cut in the preliminary round.
He competed earlier in the discus, placing sixth, and will take part in the hurdles on Saturday.
Khamica Bingham won the women’s 100 final with a time of 11.25 seconds.
Richmond, B.C., native Camryn Rogers won the women’s hammer throw event setting a Canadian championship record with a throw of 77.43 metres.
“After this, I’m even more excited – if that’s possible – than before for worlds,” she said.
Rogers – who won silver at the 2022 world championships and whose personal best is 78.62 – said she is now aiming for the 80 mark.
“We have a lot of energy, we have a lot of really good things happening in the throws right now and it’s about putting it together,” Rogers said.
“Chase the 80-metre line. Get as close as we can or even over it.”
Nicole Ostertag won the women’s heptathlon with 6019 points, edging out Georgia Ellenwood of Langley, B.C., by 18.
“It’s been a tough couple of days. I was lucky to have Georgia to compete against,” Ostertag said.
“Competing against Georgia was an amazing experience. She had a lot of people rooting for her here and I wanted to use that as fuel for myself.”
De Grasse, Brown, Blake and Rodney will get their upgraded Tokyo Olympic silver medals Saturday at the Canadian national trials in a medal reallocation ceremony.
“It sets a perfect story for us to get gold at the next Olympics,” said Brown.
The group had initially earned bronze in the men’s 4×100 relay at the Tokyo Games two years ago.
However, an official upgrade came in May 2022 following the disqualification of the British team due to a doping violation by team member CJ Ujah.
The men’s 4×100 team is also preparing to defend its title at worlds in Budapest, Hungary.
“We won gold last year, why aim lower?” said Brown.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 28, 2023.
