Corunna’s favourite son now has a new title; world champion.
Derek Drouin captured the gold medal at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing on Sunday.
The 25-year-old took the top prize in a jump off with competitors from China and the defending world champion from the Ukraine.
All three jumpers successfully cleared 2.33 metres and when the trio all missed at 2.36 metres, the bar was lowered to 2.34 metres to decide the championship. Drouin was awarded first place when he was the only one of the three to successfully clear the height.
Pre-meet favourite Mutaz Bashim of Qatar finished fourth.
A torrential downpour just before the event kept the winning height down, according to the St. Pat’s gradudate on the IAAF website.
Drouin, the reigning Commonwealth and Pan Am Games champion in his discipline, becomes the first Canadian ever to win a gold medal in high jump at the World Championships.
He won the bronze medal at the Olympics in London in 2012 and will be a favourite for another podium finish next year in Rio.
Social media is awash with congratulatory messages for Drouin, including one from his long-time local coach Joel Skinner.
“Oh my goodness,” he posted on Facebook. “That just happened!!”
See it here, courtesy of CBC TV
http://www.cbc.ca/…/derek-drouin-puts-canada-on-top-of-high…
