Remember the man from Canada, who pushed Usain Bolt hard in the semi-final of 200m at Rio Olympics last year? Andre De Grasse, who also won a silver at the event, and was among the favourites to spoil the Jamaican great's swansong at the upcoming IAAF World Championships, starting August 4 in London.
However, de Grasse has been ruled out of the world meet due to a hamstring injury.
"To not have this opportunity is unimaginable to me but it is the reality I am now faced with. I am sad to miss this chance but I am young and with treatment and rehabilitation I will be back and better than ever in the near future," De Grasse said, in a statement.
Notably, the Canadian also won a 100m bronze at last edition of the world meet in Beijing. The 22-year-old has been making headlines ever since and he went on to clock the fastest timing of 2017, albeit a wind-assisted time of 9.69s.
Bolt had even heaped praise on De Grasse, but the latter went on to say that the decorated Olympian was slowing down in his last season.
It was also reported that Bolt was "running scared" of De Grasse that the Jamaican tried to get the latter ousted from last month's Diamond League meeting in Monaco, where he set his season best of 9.95s.
The Canadian's injury definitely comes as a big boost to Bolt, who will be competing in the 100m for one last time at the London meet before retiring from the sport he has dominated for nearly a decade.
The 11-time World Championships gold medalist will be in action as early as the opening day when he participates in the preliminary round of 100m at the Olympic Stadium in London.
At 30, the sprinter will be eyeing his fourth 100m Gold and with De Grasse's exit, Bolt starts as the firm favourite. The 30-year-old though needs to outperform the likes of Wayde Van Niekerk, Justin Gatlin and American sprint sensation Christian Coleman among others.
Notably, Coleman is widely regarded as the man to fill Bolt's shoes after the latter's retirement. The 21-year-old is living up to the hype as well as he has set the fastest mark, without wind assistance, this year of 9.82s.
Coleman has also registered the sub-10s mark five times, more than any other athlete this season.
