Olympic 200m champion De Grasse named in Canada’s Birmingham 2022 squad

Olympic 200 metres champion Andre De Grasse is among those selected in Canada’s athletics team for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The 27-year-old Tokyo 2020 gold medallist headlines a 43-strong squad which has been named by Athletics Canada and Commonwealth Sport Canada.

De Grasse also won 100m bronze in Tokyo and 4x100m relay silver, and boasts six Olympic medals in all, as well as four podium finishes at the World Championships.

Birmingham is set to be his debut at the Commonwealth Games after he withdrew from Gold Coast 2018 due to a hamstring injury.

His appearance in the squad is a boost for Games organisers who are hoping to attract star names to Birmingham amid the close proximity of the World Athletics Championships, which means some athletes may opt not to attend.

However, De Grasse’s preparations have been disrupted as he has withdrawn from this week’s Canadian Track and Field Championships in Langley after testing positive for COVID-19.

Also named in the Birmingham squad are Jerome Blake, Aaron Brown and Brendon Rodney, who were part of the relay quartet which won silver in Tokyo with De Grasse.

Brown won silver in the 200m in Gold Coast.

Race walker Evan Dunfee has also been selected after winning bronze in the 50 kilometres at the Games in Japan, while Pierce LePage will look to upgrade his Gold Coast silver medal in the decathlon.

Olympic decathlon champion Damian Warner is another Langley withdrawal and has not been picked for Birmingham, so will not add to his Tokyo 2020 and Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games wins.

Alysha Newman will look to defend her Commonwealth Games title in the women’s pole vault ©Getty Images

Mohammed Ahmed, an Olympic silver medallist in the 5,000m in Tokyo, has also not been named in the team but is expected to compete at the World Championships.

Ahmed also won silver in both the 5,000m and 10,000m in Gold Coast and has been battling back from a calf injury, and will also not race in Langley.

Other selections include Alysha Newman who will look to defend her Gold Coast title in the women’s pole vault.

Christabel Nettey will look to reclaim her long jump gold and Brittany Crew will aim for another medal after winning bronze last time in the shot put.

“Congratulations to the athletes named today to compete at the 2022 Commonwealth Games,” said Scott Stevenson, the executive director for Team Canada.

“Qualifying for these Games amongst the challenging field was a great accomplishment.

“With 13 medals won in athletics at the last Commonwealth Games, we know this talented group of athletes will contribute greatly to the Canadian results in athletics this summer.”

The team features 10 Para athletes, including wheelchair racer Alex Dupont who won T54 1500m gold in Gold Coast.

Birmingham 2022 is due to take place between July 28 and August 8.

The World Championships in Oregon are set for between July 15 and 24.

By Dan Palmer