On Sunday afternoon at the Canadian Track and Field Championships in Langley, B.C., Andre De Grasse ran a blistering 20.01 season best (+0.4 m/s) in the men’s 200m to win his first Canadian title in this event since 2017.

Thirty-six hours earlier, De Grasse watched the Canadian 100m final from the sidelines after he was third in his semi-final, missing out on a qualifying spot.

De Grasse came to the track Sunday with nothing to lose and showcased his vintage acceleration in the final 50 metres, blowing past Canadian rival Aaron Brown in his pre-eminent event. Heading into the race, De Grasse’s best time for 200m this season was 20.33 seconds at Oslo Diamond League in early June. He smashed that mark on Sunday afternoon by a third of a second, denying Brown the sprint double and his fifth consecutive 200m title.

De Grasse’s 4x100m relay teammates Brown, Brendon Rodney and Jerome Blake, followed him in, finishing in 20.10, 20.15 and 20.51, respectively. Rodney’s time is under the 2023 world championship standard of 20.16 seconds, which should earn him a spot on Team Canada in this event.

The Markham, Ont., native and six-time Olympic medalist has had a challenging season, but he has remained upbeat. After his fifth-place 200m performance at the Oslo Diamond League, De Grasse expressed satisfaction with how the race went and seemed pleased to be healthy and getting reps in. “With each race, I’m gradually shedding the rust and identifying areas I need to improve,” the sprinter said.

De Grasse shook off the rust in Sunday’s race, and fans were thrilled to see him racing in what seemed like a return to his former self. He celebrated his win with a victory lap in what would feel like a well-earned national title for the 28-year-old.