During the men’s 200m, the spotlight was on the sprinting greats again – but spectators were in for a shock (and a wonderful surprise) with the results.
Recap (Semi Finals):
The semi final heats alone raised some eyebrows. Andre De Grasse and Usain Bolt found themselves in not only the same heat, but in neighbouring lanes as with the 100m. in addition to finishing in second, which automatically qualified him to run in the semi finals, De Grasse, finished with a time of 19.80 seconds, just two hundreths of a second behind Bolt and beating the previously standing Canadian record for the event.
Big Bolt out for a stroll in 200m semi final #bolt #200m #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/ZGj3JWX395
— Gary (@UlstersNo1) August 18, 2016
Reactions (Semi Finals):
Although many expressed disappointment in the final 200m heat, most were fixated on the result of De Grasse and Bolt’s heat, or rather, Bolt and De Grasse’s reactions to each other. “De Grasse and Bolt” instantly started trending on Twitter, accompanied with pictures and videos of the two smiling at each other near the end of the race. The morning after the event, #DeBolt was still trending.
The bromance continues. All smiles between Bolt and De Grasse as they cross the finish line #DeBolt https://t.co/vtHo2cGKHv
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) August 18, 2016
Some embraced #DeBolt as the internet’s new favourite sports bromance.
People search all their lives for what De Grasse and Bolt have. #Bromance pic.twitter.com/msfs5tKzjK
— Norm Kelly (@norm) August 18, 2016
Even Norm Kelly, also known as Drake’s Twitter guardian angel or a city councillor of De Grasse’s hometown, Toronto.
https://twitter.com/jasonScoleman/status/766081016490360832
De Grasse wasn't having another meme like this. pic.twitter.com/igHl7p2O75
— Logan Roy fan acct (@MrVincredible) August 18, 2016
However, others wondered about De Grasse’s extra motivation to push Bolt in the semi finals.
Needless to say, the semi finals set the tone for the following night’s finals: a whole lot of uncertainty.
Recap (Finals):
Without Justin Gatlin OR Yohan Blake in the finals, there was all the more motivation for the other sprinters to capture a spot on the podium. The athletes weren’t exactly all smiles in the final.
Usain Bolt, as predicted by the world, won the gold medal with an impressive time of 19.78 seconds, pulling away from the pack when the time was right. De Grasse finished in second with a time of 20.02 seconds. Both Team France’s Christophe Lemaitre and Team Great Britain’s Adam Gemili ran a time of 20.12 seconds, and third place came down to thousandths of a second. Although a valiant effort by Gemili, Lemaitre claimed bronze.
Usain Bolt has now won gold in both the 100m and the 200m for three consecutive Olympic games, and Andre De Grasse is not only the third Canadian to ever place in both the 100m and the 200m, but also the first Canadian to earn a medal in the event since 1928!
Reactions (Finals):
Donovan Bailey
One Canadian legend watching another one blossom before his eyes. @donovanbailey reacts to De Grasse winning #Silver https://t.co/R9h0oTPfOu
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) August 19, 2016
Usain Bolt’s Fans (Or anybody within arms’ reach and beyond)
Everyone wants a photo with the champ https://t.co/cYlUvx2wBD
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) August 19, 2016
Andre De Grasse’s Mum
Andre @De6rasse's mom blows kisses to her multi-medallist son. #MomMoment #Rio2016 https://t.co/VSXEhIIpI9
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) August 19, 2016
What are your thoughts on the 200m? Do you have any predictions on the 4x100m relay? Let us know by tweeting us at @CelebMix!