Aaron Brown, 2010 Canadian junior 100m champion (© Claus Andersen)
After beating defending champion Dexter Lee in the semi-finals close to 10,000 Canadian supporters in the Stade Moncton 2010 Stadium were hoping home town boy Aaron Brown could at least deliver a medal.
So close, but yet so far.
However, that was not to be, as Brown, although running a season best 10.48 seconds had to settle for fifth in the final.
Lee obliged in 10.21 seconds, becoming the first man in the history of the IAAF World Junior Championships to retain the 100m title.
Despite not finishing among the top three, the affable Brown was satisfied with his performance on the world stage.
“It was kind of a David and goliath kind of thing. I knew if I had a good start I could compete with anybody here,” Brown said. Brown had posted 10.62 to beat lee in the semi-finals.
“I didn’t get a good start in the final, but definitely in the semi it felt good to beat one of the top guys in the world,” added 2009 World Youth silver medalist.
“It’s in Canada and we want to do the best we can and get into as many finals and try to get as many top five and top three finishes as we can,” he reasoned.
Brown, who is scheduled to compete in the 200 metres on Thursday’s fourth day of these Championships in Moncton, believes Lee performance will help the sport of track and field grow in Canada.
“He brings a lot of hype to the sport, similar to Usain, continuing that Jamaica (sprint) tradition,” Brown posited.
“Lee brings a lot of attention to the sport and that’s really good because we need fans to come and support us,” he added.
Drama unfolds
But home fans didn’t have to wait much longer before they could celebrate their first medal of the competition. On the backstretch, as the Long Jump final was unfolding athletes were getting ready for their last jumps which would prove the most eventful round.
Canadian Taylor Stewart had been standing in fourth just four centimeters off a much anticipated bronze medal. As his competitors regrouped for their last efforts, he first dropped down to fifth but to the delight of the whole stade de Moncton he saved his best for last and landed at 6.63 back into bronze medal position.
Canada had its first medallist!
“I feel great right now. It’s a great place to win a medal, in Canada. Everyone was behind me.
“It’s the best thing I could ask for, really. Coming off of an injury so it was a great competition. I hope the eight [metres] comes soon but I can’t be too picky right now. Third place is good enough for me.
“I would say it was a storybook win – just the crowd, everybody was behind me.
“I moved my mark back a little bit so I wouldn’t fault [because of the noise of the crowd].
“I had patellar tendinitis in my right knee.
“You just have to stay focused, keep in your own zone, block everything out.
“I hope it motivates the rest of [my team] to work hard, to try to get on the podium. I’m super proud, just to compete in Canada, to win is an honour.
“I haven’t called anybody but my mom. She’s here, so she’s the first one I went to, for sure.”
Kayon Raynor for the IAAF
