Add Andre De Grasse to the list of Audrey Leduc admirers. The Olympic 200-metre gold medallist is impressed by the meteoric rise of the new Canadian 100 and 200-metre record holder.

“I only met her this year,” De Grasse said after indulging in an autograph signing session with the local star Wednesday lunchtime, a few hours before the opening of the Olympic and Paralympic Athletics Trials. at the Claude-Robillard sports complex in Montreal.

“I saw she had an incredible time at LSU [in Louisiana] in April. She is progressing very well. I’m happy for her. »

The six-time Olympic medalist was able to rub shoulders with Leduc up close at the World Relays last month in the Bahamas, where the two sprinters led their countries to a 4x100m relay qualification for Paris.

“We haven’t achieved this since 2016 on the women’s side, so it’s incredible to see her progression and what she’s accomplished,” recalled De Grasse. She is from Montreal, she has the support of the public. I can’t wait to see her make something special on Friday! »

De Grasse himself has a fairly clear idea of ​​what he wants to achieve on the patched-up Claude-Robillard straight, after last week’s disaster that forced the Montreal Classic to be relocated to Saint-Laurent, with 24 hours’ notice.

The 29-year-old Ontarian obviously wants to win and go back under 10 seconds, as he did on his last visit to Montreal in 2019, when he stopped the clock at 9.98 sec in the half -final. However, he was beaten by Aaron Brown in the photo finish in the final.

Setting the Olympic standard of 10.00 last week in Finland, De Grasse agrees that the depth of the 100m in Canada is unmatched since its emergence in 2015. Seven sprinters are entered in 10.10 or lower.

“Everyone is running really fast. We have a lot of 10.0 guys who want a spot on the team and also want to compete for a medal in the relay. There are six or seven this year. In the past, it was only three guys who ran really well. Everyone is progressing, developing their talent well, especially by finding coaches they want to work with. »

De Grasse, for his part, found Rana Reider in Jacksonville, Florida, after a season under the guidance of Irishman John Coghlan, with whom he took time before finding his feet last year. The Canadian sprinter left Reider after the launch of a sexual misconduct investigation which earned the American coach a year of probation.

Still looking for a first time under 10 seconds since September 2021, in the wake of the Tokyo Olympics, De Grasse is currently focusing on pure speed. In Montreal, he will only compete in the 100m on Saturday, preferring to take his turn in the 200m on Sunday. He will return to the event in international competition before the Olympics.

“I want to focus on working 100 meters and getting going. This is our goal, my coach and I. If I get my speed back, the 200 meters will become much easier. I know I have the stamina, but now I really need to improve this start. A lot of guys here are off to a great start, including the torchbearers and a few other guys. So I can test myself Friday evening and see where I am. »

Finally healthy after being slowed by COVID-19 and a toe injury in 2022, De Grasse feels “[himself] again.”

“Statistically speaking, looking at my times in training and being healthy, I think that was the main thing. The last few years I had to deal with some injuries, but this year I was able to start with a solid base and training. My physical fitness is returning to what I hoped for. I can’t wait to get through the rounds and get ready to do the double again [in Paris]. »

For her part, Leduc will aim for the 100-200 double on the oval on which she runs almost daily. Author of her second time ever last week in Saint-Laurent (11.00), she withdrew from the final as a precautionary measure. She had felt discomfort during training two days earlier, a physical problem that she claims to have put behind her.

The sprinter from Gatineau therefore expects to run faster on Friday — and ideally to improve on her national mark of 10.96 established in Louisiana on April 20.

A little intimidated before her first press scrum in her life, Leduc carried out her signing session alongside De Grasse as if nothing had happened.

Does she feel pressure as the double favorite? She shrugs. In her first participation among the seniors in 2019, she reached the final at the same place.

“It’s even more special to be the favorite in front of my family,” she admitted before specifying: “The pressure, I put it on myself. I don’t focus on what people might put on me. When I get on the track, my goal is to go execute, run as fast as possible and finish first. That’s always been the goal of a competition; it will be again at the end of the week. »

Andre De Grasse couldn’t have said it better.