De Grasse runs season best 9.97 to win men's 100m in Berlin
Brittany Crew breaks own national shot put record with 19.28 metre toss
Sprinter Andre De Grasse of Markham, Ont., clocked a season-best time of 9.97 seconds to win the men's 100 metre race at the ISTAF Berlin World Challenge in Germany. De Grasse finished ahead of South Africa's Akani Simbine (9.99) and Tyquendo Tracey of Jamaica (10.06).
Toronto's Aaron Brown, who defeated De Grasse in a photo finish to repeat as Canadian champion in July, was fourth in 10.08, followed by Gavin Smellie of Brampton, Ont., in sixth (10.23).
De Grasse, a 2016 triple Olympic medallist, was the Canadian 100 champion from 2015 to 2017.
"This was like a comeback for me, definitely," De Grasse said. "I am coming back from injury. My partner [American hurdler] Nia Ali os coming back from a baby, and we both made the [world championship] team. That feels good.
"This race gives me a good time before I race in Doha."
WATCH | De Grasse wins with his fastest time of the season:
Sunday's race was his first under 10 seconds since the 100 semifinals at nationals on July 26 in Montreal, where he set his previous SB of 9.98.
On Aug. 18, De Grasse recorded his slowest time of 2019 in the 100 with a 10.14 clocking in the semifinals of the Muller Grand Prix in Birmingham, U.K., where he was lined up to face top-ranked American sprinter Christian Coleman in the event for the first time since the 2015 NCAA semifinals.
But Coleman withdrew from the competition and De Grasse went on to place fifth while battling swirling winds at Alexander Stadium, only the second time in six races in the 100 at that point in the season that De Grasse had failed to place in the top three.
Brittany Crew breaks own Canadian record again
Brittany Crew owns the fifth-longest throw of the season in women's shot put one month before the world track and field championships.
The Toronto resident broke her Canadian record for a fourth time this season, throwing 19.28 metres at the ISTAF Berlin World Challenge.
"My ultimate goal this year is to throw 19.00. I've concluded that I can't search for it, it's just going to happen," Crew, who will compete later this month at worlds in Doha, Qatar, told CBC Sports in May.
The 2018 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist won a Canadian title in July at Montreal and has nine victories in 19 competitions this season. Crew was coming off a fifth-place showing at the Diamond League Final in Zurich on Thursday.
Earlier this season, Crew was focused on the mental aspect of shot put and was trying meditation and visualization while also writing a training journal "to understand that every practice doesn't have to be amazing for me to throw far."
After her 2018 season was cut short by a sprained right ankle and broken foot while training in Belgium, Crew returned to competition indoors and met the 2019 world qualifying standard of 18.00 at her second event in Virginia.
Six days later, Crew set a personal best of 18.61 at the Virginia Grand Prix.
With files from The Canadian Press