Andre De Grasse lands 200m gold after seeing off challenge from American duo Kenneth Bednarek and Noah Lyles as Canadian takes title previously held by Usain Bolt
Canada’s Andre De Grasse claimed victory in the 200 metres final at the Olympics.
The 26-year-old added the gold medal to the bronze he won in the 100m on Sunday after running 19.62 seconds.
World champion Noah Lyles was third behind USA team-mate Kenneth Bednarek.
Andre De Grasse celebrates with the Canadian flag after winning the 200m title in Tokyo
De Grasse (centre) crosses the finish line to pip USA’s Kenneth Bednarek (left) and Noah Lyles
Despite reacting quickest out the block, De Grasse struggled to make the most of his instant advantage as his American rivals soon stormed ahead.
But De Grasse overtook Lyles and Bednarek as they closed in on the line and held off the challenge of Bednarek to improve on the silver medal he won in Rio five years ago.
The USA’s Erriyon Knighton, a possible heir to Usain Bolt’s 200m throne at just 17, came fourth. He ran 19.84 seconds in the US trials to beat Bolt’s Under 20s record.
A strong final 100m saw De Grasse overcome the American challenge to grab Canadian gold
De Grasse reacted quickest out the blocks but struggled through the first 100m in the final
Before De Grasse took the title in Tokyo on Wednesday the USA’s Shawn Crawford was the last man to win the 200m, other than Bolt, in 2004.
Although Bolt’s reign is now officially over, his records from the event remain firmly in tact.
The Olympic record time of 19.30 he set as far back as the Beijing Games in 2008 still looks safe, while the 19.19 world record he set at the world championships in Berlin a year later also still looks untouchable.
Jamaica’s only hope of retaining the title in the final rested with Rasheed Dwyer, who placed seventh with a 20.21.