Not slowing down: Andre De Grasse competing at Grand Slam Track in Miami, has eyes on L.A. 2028
CBC
One of Canada's most decorated Olympians isn't ready to stop competing at the Summer Games.
In an interview with CBC Sports ahead of this weekend's Grand Slam Track Miami event, Andre De Grasse said he intends on running at L.A. 2028.
The seven-time Olympic medallist said he'll be taking a season-by-season approach to attempt to build toward another Games, but the drive is still there.
"I feel like I still got some more in the tank, so I'm definitely going to try to push to 2028 in L.A.," De Grasse said.
This first season in a new Olympic quadrennial will be a busy one for the 30-year-old Canadian sprinter, capped by the world championships in Tokyo in September.
But before the worlds, or next week's World Athletics Relays, De Grasse will continue this season with the Grand Slam Track meet at Ansin Sports Complex in Miramar, Fla.
Watch all the action from Grand Slam Track Miami beginning on Friday at 5 p.m. ET on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. Click here for the full broadcast schedule.
For De Grasse, a native of Markham, Ont., the decision to compete in the new elite track league had a lot to do with location.
He's currently training at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla., under coach Mike Holloway. That's where De Grasse won the 200 metres in 20.32 seconds at the Florida Relays three weeks ago, and followed that up by helping Canada win the 4x100m relay event.
WATCH | Team Canada's victorious run at 2:38:
Grand Slam Track — the brainchild of American sprint legend Michael Johnson — presented the chance for De Grasse to run his first 100-metre race of the season against top talent, without going overseas. It also means that De Grasse – who currently lives in Florida with his partner, American hurdler Nia Ali, and their three children – can stay closer to home.
"I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to try it out and still be kind of close to home and not jeopardize too much of my training," he said. "We always have to try to go overseas and travel so far just to get a race."
WATCH | Andre De Grasse explains why he's racing in the Grand Slam Track circuit:
The new league's format is another reason that interested De Grasse. Grand Slam Track has athletes compete in two different disciplines, with points awarded in both events related to placement. For De Grasse's men's short sprints group, that means running in both 100m and 200m races.
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