Audrey Leduc of Gatineau, Que., doesn’t know what’s subsequent and, if all goes to plan, doesn’t wish to think about using what is going to quickly be her two levels from Université Laval.
Not like lots of her Canadian sprinting friends, Leduc, 22, remained in Canada after highschool as an alternative of chasing the NCAA dream that many maintain in excessive esteem. With a bachelor’s in psychology from Laval and presently in pursuit of an MBA, the concept of a profession in enterprise or lecturers is on the again burner for now, as she eyes an Olympic berth—and doubtlessly extra.
Canada’s quickest lady will tackle the nation’s greatest on the Bell Canadian Olympic Trials on Friday evening in Montreal. She is trying to clinch her spot at Paris 2024 (which is all however official), having already run Olympic-standard instances within the 100m and 200m.
Audrey Leduc is having fairly the season as Canada’s breakout sprinter forward of Olympic trials and Paris 2024.
Right this moment in Atlanta, she smashed the Canadian ladies’s 200m document, ending in 22.36 seconds.
She set the 🍁 100m document earlier this 12 months.
pic.twitter.com/h5jkzOJFLe— Ben Steiner (@BenSteiner00) June 1, 2024
“My purpose was going to be to remain in Québec and Canada to show that athletes can nonetheless make it on the worldwide stage, and Laval has been the place to do this,” she informed Canadian Operating, praising the varsity’s potential to help prime athletes and the continuity she’s been in a position to obtain beneath coach Fabrice Akué, who moved together with her from Québec Metropolis to Montreal’s nationwide coaching centre.
“Having the ability to compete with the Rouge et Or and having the opportunity of courses on-line is essential, as a result of we’ve got so many meets exterior Canada, and the college has been an awesome help,” mentioned Leduc.
This season, although, has been pretty sudden, and finding out remotely has been important to her success. Lining up in Laval’s crimson and gold colors throughout the USA and around the globe, Leduc raced to a 100m document of 10.96 seconds in Baton Rouge, La., and a 200m document of twenty-two.36 in Atlanta—stopping the clock in instances that will shock her counterparts within the NCAA.
“It may be overwhelming at instances,” she mentioned. “It’s been thrilling to be in a spot to chase data and get the Canadian 100m and 200m data, and to proceed what I used to be doing throughout the indoor season, now within the outside season.”
In the beginning of the 12 months, her purpose was to compete at Paris 2024. She’d hoped her World Athletics rating can be sufficient to qualify her, and that she wouldn’t essentially must qualify on instances. But, because the season has worn on and her opponents have completed full seconds behind her, the truth set in that she was Canada’s quickest lady, and had gotten to that time by U SPORTS.
Whereas being in Canadian college sport has allowed Leduc to be on the prime of competitions since coming in as a first-year student-athlete, she says it’s the workforce awards that stand out (e.g., profitable a workforce bronze medal on the Laval-hosted RSEQ championships). After all, she performed an enormous function in that workforce podium, profitable the 60m and lengthy leap occasions, elevating the Rouge et Or to the rostrum usually occupied by massive Ontario faculties.
For somebody who has collected seemingly numerous data and was just lately named the 2023-24 U SPORTS Athlete of the 12 months, there’s nonetheless a component of shock for Leduc. She has damaged out so rapidly in Canadian sprinting whereas carrying a way of pleasure, not just for her college and nation, but additionally for the system that she’s confirmed has price.
“The NCAA is usually a nice alternative, however I don’t really feel like I missed something staying in Canada,” she mentioned. “As a result of we’ve got fewer elite-level athletes, you may win extra and have extra confidence by that, and that may aid you develop to have the ability to attain a better stage after college.”
Now comes the laborious a part of turning velocity and wins right into a profession, one that may proceed even as soon as she crosses the end line a remaining time. However for now, that may wait—Paris and the Olympic stage are subsequent, and it will possibly all begin to really feel very actual on Friday evening.
