De Grasse won an ‘Olympic duel’ in Ostrava

The Canadian sprinter Andre DeGrasse showed he is in good form to defend his Olympic title at the next Paris Games, beating double Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs in the short distance on Tuesday and then claiming victory in the 200m against his compatriot Jerome Blake.

It happened in Golden Spike from Ostravaa major annual athletics meeting that is part of the World Athletics Continental Gold Tour.

De Grasse, Olympic 200m champion at the Tokyo Games, stood at the starting line of the 100m event with the reigning Olympic distance champion Marcel Jacobs and world bronze in the 4x100m Ryiem Forde and Reece Prescod.

The 29-year-old Canadian, who just 10 days ago finished second in the 100m of the Marrakech Diamond Leaguefinished first with a time of 10.1 seconds, his best time of the season.

Jacobs, who in recent years has suffered several injuries that have not allowed him to regain the level he showed in 2021, finished third with 10.19, behind the Jamaican. Ryem Fordewho finished second in 10.17.

Eighty minutes later, De Grasse returned to the track to run his best distance, the 200m, which he clearly won in 20.09. Jamaican Andrew Hudson is in second position and British Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake is third.

Close victory for Gardiner in the 400m

The other men’s speed event, the 400m, left an exciting battle between the Olympic champions in the distance Steven Gardiner and the world indoor champion Alexander Doom.

Gardiner, 28, maintained his undefeated record in the 400m with a close victory that almost eluded him in the final meters thanks to the Belgian runner’s final sprint.

In the end it was victory for the Bahamian, who achieved his best mark of the season with 44.39, and second place for the Belgian, who achieved a new personal best with 44.44.