The race takes place at 10:10 a.m. Mississauga time.
"To get into that final is definitely a great accomplishment and I think we can get on to that podium," says Pierre Brown, the Mississippi State student who is the elder statesman of the team and runs the all-important anchor leg. The Mississauga track club star says it's "always exciting to be at the Games and out on that track."
The excitement got a lot more intense yesterday when four teams in the heats did not finish or were disqualified. That included the Americans, who have won 15 of 21 100-metre relays in the Olympics, and the defending champions from Germany.
Canada finished second in their heat behind the heavily-favoured Jamaicans.
Anson Henry, the other Mississauga track club athlete on the team who runs the second leg, says the Canadian team's chances have now improved significantly because they have earned lane three in the middle of the track.
"When you're in the middle of the track you're more in the race," Henry said. "You've got more of a cushion both sides. You're more in the mix."
Henry said the Americans dropping the baton was no real surprise because in relays, strange things often happen. That's one of the reasons the underdog Canadian team has adopted the motto, "Stick Around," which they wear on the back of their shirts.
"In the relay you've got to expect one or a couple of the favourites to drop out," said Henry. "So basically you just want to focus on each other and that's what we did. We did ours and they did theirs and we're really thinking about getting on the podium."
Jared Connaughton of Prince Edward Island, who made the 200-metre final, will run the third leg for Canada this morning while Hank Palmer of Montreal leads off.
This is the first time Canada has been in the 4x100 relay final since 1996, when it took the gold in Atlanta.
That team, which beat the favoured Americans, included Carlton Chambers of Malton, who ran in the heats but was replaced in the finals by Robert Esmie. The other team members were Donovan Bailey, Glenroy Gilbert and Bruny Surin. All five men are to be inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame on Nov. 5.
jstewart@mississauga.net
