Canadian contenders focused on Diamond League Final after successful athletics worlds
Late qualifying push begins this week in Zurich, China and ends Sept. 8 in Brussels
It's been a top priority for Sarah Mitton this outdoor season. Aaron Brown hasn't stopped his pursuit despite disappointment at the World Athletics Championships. And as a newly crowned world champion, Marco Arop is further motivated to achieve his next goal.
For four months, the elite track and field athletes have competed around the world for a chance to qualify for the Sept. 16-17 Diamond League Final in hopes of becoming Canada's first champion since shot putter Dylan Armstrong in 2011.
"I know she has sights on winning Diamond League. She isn't working this hard for second," said Mitton's coach Rich Parkinson, months before she became the first-ever Canadian woman to earn a world shot put medal with silver last Saturday in Budapest, Hungary.
Mitton finished second at her first Diamond League Final a year ago in Zurich, falling short of the 20 metres needed to upend Chase Ealey of the United States.
Sprinter Brown and middle-distance runner Arop — the other top contenders to make an appearance at this year's Final in Eugene, Ore. — placed top-three a year ago and are inching closer to the coveted title of Diamond League champion that includes $30,000 US in prize money and a trophy.
But work remains to qualify. Brown and De Grasse improved their chances, picking up valuable qualifying points in the men's 200 metres at the Weltklasse Zurich meet on Thursday.
De Grasse was fifth in the eight-man field in 20.26 seconds, 13-100ths ahead of Brown, who was sixth at Letzigrund Stadium. Arop will race in the men's 800 on Saturday in Xiamen, China, with coverage at CBBSports.ca, the CBC Sports App and CBC Gem at 7 a.m. ET.
Thursday's field also included Americans Noah Lyles (19.80) and Erriyon Knighton, who finished 1-2 as they did at worlds.
Lyles moved to fourth in the standings from 10th, one point behind third-place Brown. De Grasse occupies the eighth and final qualifying spot, two points in front of Great Britain's Zharnel Hughes and Kenny Bednarek. One qualifying event remains Sept. 8 in Brussels.
Last year, Brown was second at the Diamond League Final in the 200 and third in the 100.
WATCH | Athletics North recaps World Athletics Championships:
All season, athletes have been awarded points for ranking first through eighth at each meet, with the top eight runners in the 100m to 800m events advancing to the Final. The top six in field events move on, along with the top 10 in the 1,500 and distance competitions.
Should there be a tie, the athlete with the best legal performance of the season is ranked higher.
Canada's Craig Thorne was seventh of eight men in 110m hurdles in 13.70 seconds.
I know my last 100 [metres] is good. It's that first 100 I gotta clean up.— Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse on his 200-metre performance
De Grasse was sixth in last week's 200 final in Budapest in 20.14 seconds and told CBC Sports he needs to become a contender again in the 100 next season.
"I know my last 100 [metres] is good. It's that first 100 I gotta clean up," the Markham, Ont., sprinter told Andi Petrillo. "It's costing me a bit on the turn [in the 200] and [I'm] letting [my closest competitors] get away from me. You can't catch anybody if you let them get so much room off the turn."
WATCH | Donovan Bailey reacts to Lyles triple crown at world championships:
Meanwhile, Arop was the first Canadian to be crowned world champion in the 800, reaching the finish in one minute 44.24 seconds on a humid evening at the National Athletics Centre.
The 24-year-old from Edmonton will be one of eight 2023 world champions competing in Xiamen, site of the first Diamond League in China since 2019. In August, World Athletics announced it would replace Shenzhen on the competition calendar for the next 10 years.
WATCH | Arop wins world 800m gold in Budapest:
Arop will race Saturday at 7:44 a.m. ET, aiming to climb the standings from a fourth-place tie with Emmanuel Wanyonyi, the Kenyan who won silver at worlds ahead of Great Britain's Ben Pattison. Wanyonyi and Pattison are part of Saturday's 13-man field.
Mitton, who is ranked No. 2 in the world, is scheduled to compete in Germany before returning to the Diamond League circuit in Brussels. The Brooklyn, N.S., native is tied for third in the standings with reigning world champion Ealey. Auriol Dongmo of Portugal and American Maggie Ewen sit 1-2.
In Budapest, Mitton topped 20 metres for the first time this season with a throw of 20.08 on her fifth of six attempts.
WATCH | Mitton holds off Olympic champion for world silver medal:
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