Canada came home with 27 medals from the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, with famed Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse adding a gold to his collection. With seven medals in total, he is the most decorated sprinter in Canadian Olympic history and tied for the most medals won by a summer Olympian.
Andre stunned the world at Paris 2024 with a gold-medal-win in the 4×100 relay. Running in lane 9 — where champions are rarely found — Andre was nursing a sore hamstring when he ran an anchor leg of 8.89 seconds to secure the win for the Canadian team.
“It’s very special to end the Games the way I wanted to,” Andre said in a post-win interview. “Leaving with something, with a gold medal. It’s incredible. No. 7 was special. It’s going to add to my collection, and it shows my grit and determination… This one was probably the hardest one to win. It wasn’t a great [Olympics] for me. It wasn’t smooth sailing like the last two Olympic Games. But this I’ll remember the most. This and the 200 metres [from Tokyo].”
Andre’s career-long resilience and resourcefulness were on full display at the Paris Olympics. He failed to qualify for his specialties, the 100m and 200m races, but he didn’t let that stop him from giving it all in the relay.
“These guys just motivated me,” Andre said. “I was just trying to be Andre De Grasse, man. Just go out there and leave it all out there. That’s half the battle.”
Ahead of the Olympics, Andre sat down for an interview with Toronto Life, where he shared insight into his pre-race ritual that helped him bring Gold home again, despite the many ups and downs he experienced at the 2024 Games.
Toronto Life: Any track fan knows that, when the Olympics are close, you’re firing on all cylinders. What’s a day in your life like lately?
Andre De Grasse: I’m deep into the grind of training and racing and fine-tuning things before Paris. I treat it like a nine-to-five: breakfast is at 8 a.m. and training begins at 10 a.m. I do sprints at the track, then strength and mobility exercises in the weight room until 3 p.m. After that, I get an hour of physio in before I go home. If I’m at home in Jacksonville, Florida, I’ll spend the evening with my kids. If I’m on the road, I’ll occasionally play tourist. I had the chance to explore Rome earlier this year, but that doesn’t happen often.
TL: You’ve become the king of peaking at the right time. What’s the secret to being at your best for the biggest races of the year?
ADG: If there’s a secret, I don’t know what it is! Wearing the Team Canada uniform during championship meets gives me a different kind of energy, but it’s also that we arrive at the Olympics weeks in advance to avoid jet lag and adjust to the surrounding climate and food. That probably helps me nail big races…
TL: Do you have a pre-race ritual?
ADG: I listen to music to keep calm, usually hip hop and R&B. I like Drake and the Weeknd and a bit of Big Sean and J. Cole. But I can also get into Beyoncé and Taylor Swift. Beyond music, I just try not to eat or do anything that I’m not used to. The idea is to keep things as familiar as possible.
A seven-time Olympic medalist, Andre De Grasse is an in-demand keynote speaker. His career is a testament to his perseverance and resilience having experienced several rounds of injury and illness throughout. He explores his improbable journey to the top of his sport, while sharing inspirational stories and lessons about the determination, resilience, and perseverance it takes to become the best — drawing from his bestselling book, Ignite: Unlock the Hidden Potential Within.
Contact us to learn more about Andre and how to book this Olympic Champion to speak at your next event.
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