'Fastest Canadian ever': Andre De Grasse sets golden goals after speedy finish to tough season

Andre De Grasse believes the best is still ahead for him.

"I definitely want to be the fastest Canadian ever. So, I have it in 200 [19.62 seconds]. I want to break the national record of Donovan [Bailey] and Bruny [Surin] of 9.84 [in the 100]. I'm so close to that. And that's something that I'm chasing every day," said De Grasse, who's best-ever time is 9.89.

The six-time Olympic medallist and 200-metre champion struggled through much of the 2023 season, leaving the world championships without hardware for the first time ever while failing to even qualify to compete in the 100.

But he strung together his best two 200 times to end his campaign, won the Diamond League Final, and is suddenly feeling confident again, especially after running his season-best time of 19.76. 

Soon, training will ramp back up as De Grasse seeks to add to his Olympic medal count at the Paris Games next summer.

"I know my goals. I want to win three Olympic gold medals. … So I know in the relay that's possible. 200, that's possible. And now just getting my start back and getting fast again, it's gonna be possible in 100," De Grasse, whose book Ignite: Unlock the Hidden Potential comes out in October, said in an interview with CBC Sports' Athletics North.

WATCH | De Grasse joins CBC Sports' Athletics North:

Indeed, De Grasse is the reigning Olympic 200 champion. He's won consecutive bronze medals in the 100. And the Canadian 4x100 relay team improved from bronze at Rio 2016 to silver at Tokyo 2020.

It's that final event, in which the Canadians entered the 2023 world championships as defending gold medallists, that produced some controversy for the 29-year-old Markham, Ont., native.

Ajomale, De Grasse's ostensible replacement, badly faded in the