How De Grasse and the bronze medal relay could propel track's profile in Toronto

Andre De Grasse'sbronze medal win in the 4x100-metre relay earned Canada its first podium finish in the event in 20 years and simultaneously vaulted four of Toronto's track stars onto the world stage.

• Relay redemption: De Grasse anchors Canada to bronze

Toronto's Aaron Brown, Brampton's Brendon Rodney and Richmond Hill'sBolade Ajomale who replaced Markham sprinter De Grasse in the qualifying heat, but did not run in the final race say they hope that this Olympic medal will translate into more support for their sport at home.

Because while this city has seen its fan base for professional sports like basketball and baseball bloom following their teams' successes in recent years, amateur sports still have only a cult following.

Gaining a following

Brown, however, said that he thinks the team's profile will help track gain momentum in the city, both in terms of fan support and in encouraging newcomers to take up the sport.

He himself got a later start on the track. De Grasse and Rodney also didn't get involved until high school, the latter first recruited after he seemed a decent basketball player, he told CBC News.

"At first I just did it because it was a pastime," Brown said. "Then [my high school coach Bill Stevens] saw me as a club coach and he said, 'You know, you could be really good at this. You have a lot of raw talent.'"

It was at the IAAF World Youth Championships in 2009, where he brought home a silver medal, that Brown said he realized the level of athleticism that exists. Unfortunately, it's rarely on display on a mass scale in Canada outside of the Olympics, he said.

"But we want to grow our sport," Brown said. "We want a bigger audience in Canada so for us to have these accomplishments in the sprints is great for the community going forward.

"And we're only going to get faster as we get older and mature."

Canada's 4x100 relay team on bronze medal win

8 years ago

Duration 9:47

CBC's Heather Hiscox speaks with Akeem Haynes, Aaron Brown, Brendon Rodney and Andre De Grasse, who captured bronze Friday after the U.S. was disqualified

Track and field last rose to prominence in Canada in 1996 when Donovan Bailey won gold in both the 100-metre race achieving the title of fastest man and led the men's Canadian 4x100-metre relay to victory. Bailey later cemented himself as a household name when he beat America's Michael Johnson who had won the 200-metre and 400-metres races in Atlanta in a 150-metre dash set at, what was then, theSkydome.

De Grasse's medals from this Olympics could give the sport a similar boost, especially coming on the wave of support from Toronto's hosting of the 2015 Pan Am Games, his teammate Ajomale said. Ajomale took De Grasse's spot as the relay's anchor in the qualifying round so that the Markham runner could rest up for his other races.

• The Olympians: Men's 4 x 100m Relay Team
• Andre De Grasse's mother says his Olympic success is no surprise to her

"My job was to get us into the final and let the A-Team do the best that they can do to get us a medal," the Richmond Hill athlete said. "For me, it's my first Olympic games and to be a part of this history is just amazing."

In the relay final, Akeem Haynes, Brown, Rodney and De Grasse set a new national record of 37.64, edging out the record of 37.69 set by Bailey and his team in 1996.