Andre De Grasse will not be coming away with a medal in the men’s 100-metres.
The 29-year-old sprinter from Markham, Ont., ran a season-best time of 9.98 seconds to finish fifth in the third semifinal heat and 12th overall on Sunday at Stade de France. The final begins at 3:50 p.m. ET.
“It was a tough run. I definitely felt like I had a lot left in the tank, but I wasn’t able to show it today. It’s part of the game,” De Grasse said after the race.
“I’m grateful to be here [at my] third Olympic Games. It’s a dream come true for me, to be honest. I never thought I’d be here. Just excited to be here. [I] got to keep my head up and get ready for the 200m.”
Canada’s Andre De Grasse finishes fifth in his men’s 100-metre semifinal race with a time of 9.98 and doesn’t qualify for the final at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
De Grasse failed to qualify for the 100m final for the first time in his Olympic career.
The six-time Olympic medallist earned bronze in the event at the previous two Games.
Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson (9.80) and Oblique Seville (9.81) moved on with the two fastest finishes. Americans Noah Lyles (9.83) and Fred Kerley (9.84) came right after.
Italy’s Marcell Lamont Jacobs and American Kennect Bednarek moved on with the next two fastest overall times.
De Grasse now looks ahead to the opening round of the 200m on Monday and the 4x100m relay heats on Thursday. He is the defending Olympic 200 champion.
“I always like to come to the Olympic Games and double,” De Grasse said. “In between, like a world championship, I’ll probably choose one event. But at the Olympic Games, I like to double.
“It was a tough run. I’m a little disappointed, but I’ll just keep my head up and look [forward] to the next run.”