Andre De Grasse’s Son Cheers Up Heartbroken Mom Ali as She Fails to Qualify for Paris Olympics: “I Know It Sucks”

“When I first did it, there weren’t many sprinters, if any, who had (returned after childbirth), so it was a lot of mentions of ‘career suicide,” said Andre De Grasse’s wife and great American hurdler Nia Ali to Reuters. “So I was like: okay, something that people haven’t seen, but I think I can do it.” Juggling the roles of an Olympian and a mom is difficult, but Nia Ali does it gracefully. Recently, Ali failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics in the 100m hurdles finals, cutting short her Olympic journey.

However, the 35-year-old Olympic silver medalist, married to Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse, has a supportive family to lean on. Their young son, Kenzo, knows just how to lift his mother’s spirits. He demonstrated this perfectly over breakfast one day, showing that love and support at home can help heal even the deepest disappointments.

Nia Ali has a son to make sure she gets a good laugh

Nia Ali shared a glimpse of her home life with their son. She wrote on X, “Me to my son: Thanks Bub for joining me for breakfast this morning, made me feel better after failing to make the Olympic team. Him: You’re welcome. I know it sucks Me: Sucks major, but who knows maybe I’ll win something bigger. Him: I don’t think there is anything bigger🤷🏽”. This humorous exchange came after Nia Ali faltered in making her second Olympics team during the trials in Eugene.

Nia Ali finished the 100m finals with a time of 12.37s and could not make it by hundredths of a second. Even though it was the third fastest hurdle of her career. Masai Russell came first with a time of 12.25s. She set a new US Trials record with that time. Russell was followed by Alaysha Johnson and Grave Stark, who came second and third with a tied time of 12.31s. It’s the first time Ali did not qualify for the Olympics since 2012 in the event. She won silver in the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympics and won a gold at the 2019 World Championships which was held in Doha. Additionally, she is a 9x US National Championships finalist.

She came 5th during her first try in 2011 and came third in both 2013 and 2016. Most recently, during the 2023 Championships, she came first and won gold. Nia is amongst the fastest hurdlers in the country. Last year when she posted a time of 12.30s, she recorded the 3rd fastest time by any US woman in history. It was also the 9th fastest time in world history. The support of her family, particularly the understanding and encouragement from her son, underscores the importance of a strong support system for athletes.

Nia Ali’s life with Andre De Grasse and their children

The duo is one of the most well-known power couples in the track and field world. In 2021, Nia posted a TikTok in response to a question asking her about her Paris plans. She answered in the affirmative. She also posted a mashup video of De Grasse and her relationship. Additionally, she even posed like her husband on Instagram for a spot of fun. The two are revered track and field athletes and likely met at a T&F event or meet itself. Though they have been hush hush about the details.

De Grasse often speaks very highly of her. He praised her Doha gold medal saying, “I was so happy for her when she won the World Championships in Doha, the first to bring home a gold medal, it really motivated me and inspired me, to show how hard she works and she’s a big inspiration to me.” The couple share an elder daughter Yuri and a younger son, Kenzo. They welcomed the children in June 2018 and May 2021, respectively. Because of this reason, Ali missed the 2021 Tokyo Olympics cycle. She has another son, Titus, from a previous relationship. The family of five reside in Orlando, Florida.

They moved there so they could train with coach Irishman John Coghlan to prepare for the 2024 Olympics. “I felt like I wanted a little bit more attention to detail and stuff like that going into my next Olympics,” said De Grasse about switching up coaches. Andre De Grasse and Nia Ali have a relationship that’s been forged through fire; they’ve overcome injuries and a pandemic, yet they’re just as in love as ever.