Gatineau’s pride—and Canada’s fastest runner Audrey Leduc heading to Paris Olympics
The Canadian Olympic Committee recently called Gatineau sprinter Audrey Leduc to represent Team Canada in the Paris Olympics, set to begin on July 26.
Djeneba Dosso
“I did not see this coming,” said Audrey Leduc, the fastest woman in Canada to run the 100- and 200-metre sprints, when she was told she had qualified for the Paris Olympics.
Just a few weeks earlier, the Gatineau athlete, dubbed “Lightning Leduc,” set two Canadian records, notably breaking the 36-year old Canadian women’s 100m mark of 10.98. “I was hoping to qualify for the relay and the 100 metres via World Ranking, but I didn’t expect the 200 metres, too,” she stated. Her record-breaking performances earned her a direct flight to Paris to make her debut at the Olympics, July 26 to August 11.
Leduc’s background in soccer from a young age helped her discover her love for running, which propelled her into the field of track at the age of 10. Aged 25 today, the business student at the University of Laval has built an impressive resume, currently ranked 38th in the 100m world ranking and already having participated in the Quebec and Canada Games. After exceeding the Olympic standard of 22.57, setting the national record to 22.36 in the 200m, preceding running a national record of 10.96 at a 100m meet in Louisiana last April, the sprinter will now be representing Team Canada alongside 48 Canadian athletes.
“I’ve done the Quebec Games and the Canada games,” she said. “The Olympics game is just the big thing. I’m excited to get there, represent Canada as best I can, and run fast.”
Photo caption: After breaking the Canadian records in both the women’s 100m and 200m this spring, Audrey Leduc dubbed “Lightning Leduc” has qualified to make her debut at the Paris Olympics which are set to begin on July 26. The 25-year-old Gatineau sprinter, who has already participated in the Quebec and Canada games says she is excited to be representing Team Canada.
Photo credit: Djeneba Dosso.
