Caribbean Roots Runners Win Gold for Canada

News Americas, New York, NY, August 10, 2024: Immigrants make the world go round. Caribbean roots sprinters Aaron Brown, Jerome Blake, Brendon Rodney, and Andre De Grasse gave Canadians something to cheer about on Friday as they claimed gold in the Men’s 4x100m Relay final at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The team clocked an impressive 37.50 seconds, securing the top spot on the podium.

This same Canadian team previously competed at the 2020 Tokyo Games, where they initially finished third with a time of 37.70 seconds. They were later upgraded to a silver medal after one of Great Britain’s relay members tested positive for performance-enhancing substances. The quartet also teamed up at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, where they won gold with a world-leading time of 37.48 seconds.

The runners have strong Caribbean roots. Aaron Brown, 32, has Jamaican heritage through his father, Ian. Brown is the second of three children and married his college sweetheart, Preeya, in February 2020. Their son, Kingsley, was born in January 2021.

Jerome Blake, 28, was born in Buff Bay, Jamaica. Initially a 400m hurdler, he transitioned to sprinting after moving to Canada with his family in 2013. Blake became a Canadian citizen in 2018.

Brendon Rodney, 32, was born in Etobicoke, Canada, to Jamaican parents, Basil Rodney and Nerissa Maxwell. Rodney is committed to giving back to Jamaican athletes through his Life Beyond Sports Foundation, which provides scholarships to students at the GC Foster College of Physical Education and Sport in Jamaica.

Andre De Grasse, 29, was born in Scarborough, Ontario, to a Trinidadian mother, Beverley De Grasse, and a Barbadian father, Alexander Waithe. De Grasse and his wife, American hurdler Nia Ali, have two children, Yuri, born in June 2018, and another child born in May 2021.

Other athletes with Caribbean roots also found success at the 2024 Olympics, including the US’ Gabby Thomas and Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith.