The next generation: 5 Canadian sprinters to watch at Paris Olympics and beyond

For the last decade, Andre De Grasse has been the face of Canadian track.

Going into the Paris Olympics, De Grasse — one of two athletes chosen to carry Canada's flag at the opening ceremony — has six Olympic medals, reaching the podium in every event he entered in Rio and Tokyo.

In 2016, De Grasse was the first Canadian sprinter to medal in the 100 metres since Donovan Bailey's gold-medal performance in Atlanta two decades before. Then, he became the 200-metre Olympic champion in Tokyo, the first time a Canadian man or woman has won that distance since Percy Williams did it in 1928.

Behind De Grasse, there's a new generation of sprinting talent heading to Paris, ready to show Canada what they've got.

As athletics begin on Thursday, Aug. 1 at the Olympics, here are five up-and-coming sprinters to watch in Paris and beyond:

It's been a year to remember for Leduc.

She earned the title of fastest woman in Canada in April when she set a new 100-metre record. Leduc registered a time of 10.96 seconds, which broke the 10.98 record set by the late Angela Bailey in 1987.

A couple weeks later, Leduc powered the 4x100m women's relay team to a spot in Paris, the first time the women's team has qualified for the Olympics since Rio. Leduc ran the third leg in a blistering 10.18.

The 25-year-old from Gatineau, Que. is set to compete in both events in her first Olympic Games, plus the 200 metres. Leduc also owns the Canadian record in that distance (22.36).

"I've seen her go through different obstacles and still overcome them with so much grace, and just so much determination," relay teammate Sade McCreath said about Leduc.

Both came into the national team program around the same time and have been roommates at every camp and competition.

"To see her finally get to where she wanted to be, I'm incredibly proud of her and she's so deserving of it because she works really hard," McCreath said.

Vaughan, Ont.'s Morales Williams will compete at his first Olympics after a breakout season.

He set a Canadian record in the 400m in May at the Southeastern Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships, clocking at 44.05. To put that in perspective, Morales Williams ran 0.03 seconds faster than the silver medallist at the Olympics in Tokyo (44.08).