Aaron Brown sprints to 2nd in 200 metres, topping Canadian relay teammates in Botswana

Aaron Brown picked up where he left off last season over 200 metres on the track.

The Toronto sprinter crossed the line in 20.00 seconds in a slight headwind, finishing second to local favourite Letsile Tebogo (19.87) in Saturday's men's race at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix. Liberian-American sprinter Joseph Fahnbulleh, the 2022 NCAA Division 1 champion in the 200, was third in 2014.

Brown's reigning world champion 4x100m relay teammates were also in Saturday's race at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meet. Brendon Rodney was fifth (20.28), Jerome Blake sixth (20.39) and Andre De Grasse seventh (20.41).

The foursome won world championship gold last summer in the 100 relay, upsetting a stacked United States team for Canada's first major title in the 4x100 since Donovan Bailey, Bruny Surin, Glenroy Gilbert & Robert Esmie at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Brown's performance on Saturday, his first 200 of the season, is his fastest since a 19.99 effort on Aug. 3, 2021 in the semifinal round of the Tokyo Olympics.

The 30-year-old, who lives and trains in Florida, went 20.02 last Sept. 8 in Zurich, where he was third in the Diamond League final.

Earlier Saturday, Brown was fourth in the 100 at National Stadium in Gaborone, stopping the clock in 10.06. Tebogo, a two-time world U20 gold medallist in the 200, was second in 9.91.

Brown is the four-time defending Canadian champion in the sprint double.

WATCH | Breaking down Canada's 4x100 relay win at 2022 worlds:

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