Andre De Grasse set for sprint rematch vs. Gatlin, Gay, Powell
Young Canadian won world bronze in 2015 against vets before turning pro
This is the fourth in a series of four articles from Donovan Bailey, looking ahead to various Diamond League meets and the Olympics. Previously, Donovan discussed the rivalry between sprinters Justin Gatlin and Usain Bolt, a Rio outlook for Canadian high jumper Derek Drouin and the patience required by athletes recovering from injury.
The men's 100-metre field at Saturday's Diamond League meet in Eugene, Oregon (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 4 p.m. ET) reminds me a lot of last year's final at the world championships in Beijing, with veterans Justin Gatlin, Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell going against some of the younger guys like Canada's Andre De Grasse and Michael Rodgers of the United States.
When I competed, the top guys lined up against each other week in and week out but you don't see it as often nowadays, so it's very clear that it's the lead-up to the Rio Olympic Games.
For De Grasse, who's in his first season as a professional, he needs to understand that every single thing he does and every breath he takes is monitored, criticized or praised. I'm confident in Andre and he's going to step up to the challenge this weekend.
Andre knows he's in a professional training environment with his new coaches Dan Pfaff and Stuart McMillan, that his support system has expanded and his training is more consistent. He's hit the weight room a little bit so he's getting stronger. Between Andre, his coaches and his agents, they have a strategic plan for him to peak, as I did, for a major championship.
Utilizing what he has learned over the last six to eight months in the new training environment is what I'll be looking for from Andre in Saturday's race (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 5:13 p.m. ET). The understanding of how he functions coming out of the starting block, his angles and his breathing have all been tweaked from last summer.
The track in Eugene is notoriously fast. If the weather is favourable, 9.80 seconds will be the winning time. I thought Andre was going to run 9.84 last year and beat my Canadian record. I think he can go way faster than that. I want Andre to focus on 9.58, Usain Bolt's world record, but even more importantly, I want him to focus on winning major championships.
I'm certain Andre is confident he can beat anyone in the field on Saturday but these guys are veteran runners and looking to make a statement.
Gatlin feels that he should have an Olympic gold medal and he thinks he can beat Bolt, and I think Eugene is a place for him to reassert himself.
Over the past four years his running has improved significantly, from a technical perspective. He knows and understands how to get on a straight line out of the blocks and down the track. Gatlin is probably more efficient than he's ever been; he's older, probably wiser and certainly stronger.
Tyson Gay has the fastest time ever at Hayward Field in Eugene, a wind-aided 9.68, and he won last year's 100 there at the Diamond League meet.
If you talk to any professional athlete, they always say there's a venue where they love to compete. I loved running in Berlin, Zurich and Rome. The fans in Eugene have a strong knowledge of the sport. It's their own mini Olympics and that's why we see athletes go there and run incredible times.
Powell is awesome. He's one of the best runners ever but is still looking for that elusive gold medal in an individual race. Everyone wants Asafa to win, and he's had a good start to the season. He ran a Jamaican record 6.44 in the 60 metres at the world indoor championships so he's in 9.70-second shape over the 100 metres.
The times when he hasn't come through in the 100 metres or the 60, he's had a mental breakdown that leads to a slight technical mistake. I think he'll be okay this weekend. Asafa has always done well in one-off races.
Donovan Bailey is a two-time Olympic gold medallist and once held the world record for the 100 at 9.84 seconds.