Andre De Grasse making all the right moves before Rio Olympics

It took all of 10 seconds for Andre De Grasse to prove he made the right move.

The Canadian sprint star raised eyebrows in December when he left Los Angeles and moved to Phoenix to train with Stuart McMillan. His fifth coach in four years, and less than eight months from the Rio Olympics, his decision had armchair critics abuzz on social media.

But the 21-year-old from Markham, Ont., has roared out of the gate, opening with fast times in both the 100 and 200 metres, and says he's feeling better than ever.

"It feels better because this time last year, it was a little bit of fatigue, a little tired, and I knew the season was going to be pretty long," De Grasse said Tuesday. "Now it's an Olympic year so I've kind of got to take my races one at a time, and kind of just get ready for the Olympics, with less races, and that's actually a plus to it."

De Grasse ran a wind-aided but solid 9.99 seconds to win the 100 at the Florida Relays in his season opener. He followed it up with a victory in the 200 in 20.23, second fastest in the world this season, at the Sun Angel Classic on Saturday in Tempe, Ariz.

The fast results are reassurance of a training program he said is vastly different from last season's. De Grasse ran a whopping 54 races in a marathon last season that stretched out from the NCAA championships to Pan Am Games to the world championships. The fact he raced to a bronze medal at the world championships in Beijing — in race No. 52 — was a testament to his talent.

McMillan and his coaching team at Altis — formerly the World Athletic Center — have taken a patient approach with the Canadian sprinter, both in training and racing. They held him out of all but one race in the indoor season. The aim is to be fresh and in top form in Rio.

"It's all been new to me," De Grasse said. "Always, when you switch coaches, everything is going to be different, because last year in the collegiate season, my coaches at USC had a different program, and they had a different message.

"Now with Altis and Stuart McMillan, their message is totally different, and they're kind of teaching me different things, I'm learning new techniques, and lifting more in the weight room, so I'm getting stronger on the track, just trying to finish my race with more left in the tank."

Pro deal changed everything

De Grasse spent Tuesday doing a round of media interviews after signing a partnership with Gillette. The male grooming brand's "Perfect Isn't Pretty" campaign honours the rigorous journey athletes face en route to the Olympics, and features a star-studded lineup of Brazilian soccer star Neymar, Olympic decathlon champion Ashton Eaton from the U.S., Chinese swimmer Ning Zetao and British cyclist Andy Tennant.

De Grasse turned pro in December, signing an historic $11.25 million US deal with Puma. Since then, he's travelled to Jamaica for a photo shoot and was in Toronto for NBA all-star weekend, attending the celebrity game and Snoop Dogg's charity game.

The former basketball player and big-time NBA fan has been keeping tabs on the Raptors, and hopes to fly home to Toronto to attend a playoff game.

Otherwise, life has been pretty quiet, he said. He spends his free time attending movies, bowling or golfing with Altis teammates. "I suck at golf. I'm terrible," he said, laughing.

"It's a serious year, so can't be playing around because of the year that's going on," he said. "So it's just been regular things, and other than that just been training and recovering."