It was Andre De Grasse who made it to the spotlight on the second day of the Prefontaine Classic 2023. The Canadian prodigy, who wasn’t having the best of the season until now, has lifted the Diamond League Trophy in 200 meters and signed off the season in style. With this, De Grasse has girded up to assert his dominance in the French capital in 2024.

Following the victory, De Grasse has also sent a statement to Noah Lyles that he can pose a staunch competition to the triple world champion at the Paris Olympics. Not only has he won the 200m Diamond League finals with absolute finesse, but also clocked his season’s best to bid adieu to his 2023 spree.

Andre De Grasse pose staunch competition to Noah Lyles’ Olympic dreams

Noah Lyles has had a great sprinting season so far, and he is looked up to as the next Olympic champion. However, with his Prefontaine Classic win, De Grasse also redeemed himself from the upsetting defeats he had to face in the recently concluded world championship in Budapest. The Canadian sprinter clocked a stupendous time of 19.76 seconds to win the glittering Diamond League trophy. The Toronto-based runner started the race well, took a lead after halftime, and was able to keep it until the end.

Kenny Bednarek and Erriyon Knighton finished second and third with a time of 19.95 and 19.97 seconds, respectively. However, De Grasse has put in considerable effort throughout the season to recover from his injury. This was also one of the primary reasons that he finished sixth at the 2023 World Athletics Championships.

With the Eugene Diamond League, as the 2023 season comes to an end, Lyles and De Grasse will have a faceoff at the upcoming Olympics in France. However, in the 2023 run, it was Lyles who dominated his Canadian counterpart throughout the season.

A new rivalry is brewing

One of their major faceoffs was seen during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, when Lyles used to run mainly in the 200-meter category. But De Grasse found his way to the top and won the race after clocking a Canadian record time of 19.62 seconds. Lyles was placed third in the race with a time of 19.74 seconds.

Following their Tokyo Olympics face-off, the duo faced each other in Budapest in 2023, where the American sprinter stood victorious, as he won three golds in 100m, 200m, and 4x100m categories.

However, De Grasse’s triumphant return and victory in the Prefontaine Classic 2023 signal the revival of a fierce rivalry on the tracks.

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With his season’s best performance, the Canadian sprinting legend has reestablished himself as a formidable contender, setting the stage for an exciting showdown at the upcoming Paris Olympics.

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