For a handful of years, the quartet of Andre De Grasse, Brendon Rodney, Jerome Blake and Aaron Brown have competed in 4x100m relay races around the world together.
The four sprinters have accomplished numerous podium finishes, but one title had eluded them until last week – Olympic champion.
“It's more or less the only thing that's left, the only part of the podium that's left for us to stand on is the top part,” Blake told KelownaNow on what the team was thinking before their race.
The team was confident in their abilities before the 4x100m final last week, after all, they won silver in Tokyo in 2021, and gold at the world championships in 2022.
“We felt confident in the ability that we could get a medal,” said Blake.
“We just didn't really know which colour it (would) be.”
To add to their confidence, the quartet knew they would be racing in the outermost lane, an advantage as Blake explained the wider turns are "always easier to run” as it is not as tight as the other lanes.
The sound of an electric pistol went off and Aaron Brown got a strong start for Canada as he built space between himself and his opponents.
Brown came around the first bend to hand the baton to Jerome Blake, but not without a struggle.
“He missed my hand three times before I got the baton…I just left my hand there because I knew he was going to put it in,” said Blake, adding that patience is key to not making mistakes when handing off the baton.
“Once I felt it, I was like, okay, time to go. I grabbed it out of his hand and just started motoring down the backstretch.”
Just in case you missed it 😉
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) August 10, 2024
Watch the moment Canada won GOLD in the 4x100m relay 🇨🇦 #Paris2024@De6rasse @KingsleySC @_Jeromeblake @RodneyGetEm pic.twitter.com/REtdDcrKCB
Blake continued to keep the Canadians at the front of the race as he met Brendon Rodney to hand off the baton and complete the third leg.
Full of emotions and adrenaline, the BC sprinter began to shout at his teammate after handing off the baton.
“I was yelling for him to go, I could see him going, but once everyone else passed me, I was like, oh wow, I think we're in the lead right now,” he said.
Rodney handed the baton to Andre De Grasse, who brought it home for the Canadians, winning the event for the first time since Donovan Bailey, Bruny Surin, Glenroy Gilbert and Robert Esmie did so in 1996.
With Bailey providing commentary for the race with CBC, Surin serving as the chef de mission for Team Canada and Gilbert a coach with Athletics Canada, the latest quartet was closely tied with the previous Canadian championship team.
"They wanted to leave it as Olympic champions" 🥇@GlenroyGilbert tells @Devin_Heroux just how proud he is of the four Canadian men who struck gold today in the 4x100m relay finals 🇨🇦 #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/4LPacZYiPB
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) August 10, 2024
“I looked,” said Blake, “and I saw Bruny in the stadium jumping.”
While everyone at home knew right away that Canada had won, Blake was in the dark for a few moments as he was on the other side of the track after completing his leg.
“But then I heard the stadium announcer say ‘Canada took it. Canada took it.’ I started running up and down the track,” explained Blake.
“I was running trying to get to the rest of the guys, and I was so far away.”
Eventually, Blake made it to his teammates and fans in the stands to celebrate with a Canadian flag draped over his shoulders.
The quartet of sprinters made their way over to a large bell that had become a staple at the Paris Olympics, with the champions of their respective sports getting the opportunity to ring it.
“I felt so good,” Blake answered when asked how he felt after the race.
“A couple of days before, we saw everybody ringing (the bell), I was like, ‘Hey, I don't care what we do, but I want to go ring that exact bell.’"
Maintenant au tour de notre quatuor canadien 🇨🇦 de sonner la cloche des champions au Stade de France! 🛎️🥇#jeuxolympiques #RCSports #Paris2024 #athlétisme pic.twitter.com/XwFcMaQSue
— Radio-Canada Sports (@RC_Sports) August 9, 2024
The Canadians then received their medals that evening and the party began as they celebrated and then attended the closing ceremony, something extra special to Blake as he missed the opening ceremony because of training in Spain.
“It was just such a cool experience,” added Blake.
While the Olympics are over and the Paralympics are set to begin at the end of the month, Blake has a couple more meets left to finish before returning home to Canada.
The 2024 Paralympics are set to get underway on Aug. 28.
