Romantic and friendly moments are rare in high-stakes games like the Olympics. In fact, only a handful of couples have ever stolen the show from the main attraction. But in 2016, when the Rio Olympics were in full swing, the world caught a glimpse of what would soon become the biggest bromance in the history of track and field.
The moment in question came at the 200-meter semi-finals, where both Usain Bolt, De Grasse, and six other competitors sought to qualify for the finals event.
Being the dominant sprinter that he is, Usain Bolt quickly got ahead of the pack and opened up a sizable lead over his competitors. As he neared the finish line, however, he decided to relax and moderate his pace a little bit.
In contrast, De Grasse, who trailed closely behind him, cranked up his pace and was able to draw level with Bolt.
Now running side by side, De Grasse beamed and glanced at Bolt.
Bolt, on the other hand, noticed that his Canadian rival had now caught up to him, and when he looked to his left, he too smiled at De Grasse.
From that point forward, the rest, as they say, is history.
Both Bolt and De Grasse recorded incredible times to finish the race: 19.78 and 19.80 seconds, respectively.
Olympic Games throwback
The moment became so iconic that even seven years later, people still hadn’t forgotten it. And now, with the Paris Olympics just around the corner, the Olympic Games X team (formerly known as Twitter) has chosen to honor the historic occasion with a throwback.
Along with the video, their team posted the caption: “1️⃣3️⃣ is a moment to make you smile! 😁 #BestOf2023 We went back 7️⃣ years to #Rio2016 when Usain Bolt and Andre De Grasse made the world smile.”
1️⃣3️⃣ is a moment to make you smile! 😁 #BestOf2023
We went back 7️⃣ years to #Rio2016 when Usain Bolt and Andre De Grasse made the world smile.@De6rasse | @usainbolt pic.twitter.com/odGncfyB82
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) December 19, 2023
Bolt was able to amass eight Olympic gold medals from the 2008, 2012, and 2016 competitions before retiring in 2017. De Grasse is still active to this day, and he has six medals from the Olympics.
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Cover Photo: IG