Andre De Grasse reflects on cricket ties and one last Olympic goal

Andre De Grasse was never supposed to be on a sprint track. A high-school basketball player with no formal training in athletics, he wandered into a college meet in 2012 wearing baggy shorts and borrowed spikes, unsure even how to position himself in the starting blocks.

He still finished second in the 100 metres and third in the 200m. It was an unpolished, accidental beginning that quietly announced the arrival of a future Olympic sprint star.

Yet, long before sprinting became his calling, cricket was part of the Canadian star’s early sporting memories.

With deep West Indian roots - his mother from Trinidad and his father from Barbados - De Grasse grew up around cricket during his childhood visits to the Caribbean, where the sport is more than just a game.

“Cricket is the game back in the Caribbean,” De Grasse told Olympics.com. “When I visited my dad in Barbados as a kid, around nine or 10 years old, I did play. I loved it, especially batting and trying to hit sixes.”

While cricket captured his imagination, it remained a casual affair, confined to family games rather than structured competition.

“I only played with my father. It never went beyond that,” De Grasse said, making it clear that sprinting, not spin or swing, would eventually define his career.

Growing up in Canada, De Grasse, now a seven-time Olympic medallist, was exposed to a multi-sport environment dominated by basketball, ice hockey and football.

Cricket, despite its global following and massive popularity in India, was never part of his daily sporting ecosystem. Still, the hand-eye coordination, footwork and explosive power honed through basketball - and even backyard cricket - would later translate seamlessly to the track.

Now 31, De Grasse stands among the elite of world sprinting, a man who has repeatedly challenged established champions. With the Paris Olympic cycle behind him, his sights are set firmly on one final global outing.

“My plan is to compete in one more Olympics at LA 2028,” he said. “I want to be competitive again in the 100m, one of my favourite events, and try to bring home more medals at my final Games, close to home.”

Asked about India’s growing presence on the Olympic stage, De Grasse acknowledged the rise of new stars from the region.

“It’s incredible to see the talent coming out of India,” he said. “Watching someone like Neeraj Chopra succeed on the global stage is inspiring, not just for India but for athletes everywhere. It shows how much sport is growing here.”

As cricket prepares for its return to the Olympic programme after a 128-year absence, with the shortest format set to grab global attention, De Grasse remains locked into his own battle - the straight, unforgiving 100m.

He signs off with a nod to a sporting icon. Chris Gayle, he says, will always be the Universe Boss of cricket. As for himself, Andre De Grasse is chasing one last title of his own - the Universe King of the track.

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