Team Canada’s Tokyo 2020 men’s 4x100m relay team receives upgraded silver medals

LANGLEY (July 29, 2023) – On Saturday, Team Canada’s Tokyo 2020 men’s 4x100m relay team received their reallocated Olympic silver medals in a ceremony held at McLeod Athletic Park in Langley, B.C. during the Bell Canadian Track and Field Championships.

The Canadian team of Aaron Brown, Jerome Blake, Brendon Rodney and Andre De Grasse initially finished third at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. 

Their time of 37.70 seconds was 0.20 shy of the gold medallists from Italy, who edged Great Britain by one one-hundredth (0.01) of a second. The second-place finish was eventually rescinded after one of Great Britain’s team members tested positive for performance-enhancing substances. In May 2022, the International Olympic Committee confirmed that the silver medals would be reallocated to Canada, and China would be upgraded to bronze. 

In a ceremony held at the Bell Canadian Track and Field Championships, which are also serving as the Trials for next month’s World Athletics Championships, Canadian Olympic Committee President and IOC Member Tricia Smith presented the athletes with their silver medals. Bruny Surin, an Olympic gold medallist in the 4x100m relay at Atlanta 1996 who is also Team Canada’s Chef de Mission for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games, presented flowers to the athletes.

With the upgrade to silver, Team Canada’s medal count from Tokyo 2020 stands at seven gold, seven silver, and 10 bronze. 

De Grasse, who is Canada’s most decorated male summer Olympian and is tied for second on the country’s all-time list of Olympic medallists, now has a career Olympic medal count of one gold, two silver and three bronze. Brown and Rodney, who were members of the bronze medal-winning 4x100m relay squad at Rio 2016, each have one silver and one bronze. Blake stood on the Olympic podium for the first time in his Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020. 

QUOTES

“Bronze was beautiful but silver is even better. This recognition helps us relive that special Olympic moment from two years ago, but in front of our family and friends this time.” 
– Aaron Brown

“To now be awarded a silver medal for my first Olympic Games experience is a proud moment for me. It would be amazing to continue my Olympic journey with a gold in Paris next summer.”
– Jerome Blake

“The silver medal is just a display of our hard work and sacrifices throughout the years. We are grateful for it and we are looking to Paris to add Olympic gold to our collections.”
– Brendon Rodney

“The silver medal means a lot. I’m really proud of our team but it would be amazing to complete the set of Olympic medals with gold in Paris next summer.”
– Andre De Grasse

“A truly special day to see this extraordinary team appropriately recognized, and even more special to have it in front of a home crowd. Congratulations to Aaron, Jerome, Brendon and Andre who are such great ambassadors for our country, and for sport.”
– Tricia Smith, President, Canadian Olympic Committee

“Winning a medal at the Olympic Games in any colour is an incredible feat, but for this group of sprinters who have been together for a few years, being bumped up from bronze to silver is well deserved. They ran an incredible race under pandemic conditions. Seeing them rewarded with the silver medal here on Canadian soil in front of their families and fans is truly special.”
– Glenroy Gilbert, Head Coach, Athletics Canada

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Caroline Sharp
National Teams Communications Specialist
Athletics Canada
C: 613-323-5605
E: caroline.sharp@athletics.ca

Thomas Hall
Director, Communications and Media Relations
Canadian Olympic Committee
C: 514-709-1054
E: thall@olympic.ca