Audrey Leduc is off to a fast start in her Olympic debut.
The up-and-coming sprinter from Gatineau, Que. set a Canadian record of 10.95 seconds to win her heat in the women’s 100 metres at the Olympics in Paris.
The Laval University product broke her own record of 10.96 seconds, set in April.
Leduc, 25, is the first Canadian woman to run under 11 seconds since the late Angela Bailey clocked 10.98 in 1987.
The 10.95 is the 18th-fastest time this year, so Leduc would have to go significantly faster to qualify for the final.
“I need to talk to my coach, but I think i can go faster,” she told CBC Olympics. “Just the first time to feel the track and the crowd and everything. I think I will be more ready (in the semifinals) because I know what to expect.”
Leduc’s time was sixth-fastest in the heats.
The semifinals and final are Saturday.
Meanwhile, Canadian Ethan Katzberg qualified for the men’s hammer throw final in his Olympic debut with a throw of 79.93 metres, tops in qualifying. Katzberg, from Nanaimo, B.C., is the reigning world champion.
Fellow Canadian Rowan Hamilton, from Chilliwack, B.C., also qualified for the final with the second-best throw (77.78 metres), which also was a personal best.
The final is Sunday.
