Aaron Brown is a two-time Olympic medallist in the 4×100-metre relay. At his second Olympic Games in Rio 2016, he ran the second leg for the team that set a national record of 37.64 seconds, earning a bronze medal. Read more about his achievements on itoronto.
Stunning Records of the Athlete
At Tokyo 2020, Aaron led the relay team in the first round and the final to claim silver, marking his second consecutive Olympic medal in this event. Additionally, in Tokyo, he reached his first individual Olympic final, winning his heat and semifinal in the 200 metres, finishing sixth overall. At his Olympic debut in London 2012, he narrowly missed the 200-metre final, finishing ninth by just 0.05 seconds.
Brown reached the podium at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, winning gold in the 4×100-metre relay alongside teammates Andre De Grasse, Jerome Blake, and Brendon Rodney. They also broke the national record with a time of 37.48 seconds. Brown was the only athlete in Eugene to reach the finals in both the 100- and 200-metre events. In September 2022, he secured silver in the 200 metres and bronze in the 100 metres at the Diamond League Final in Zurich.
One of Canada’s top sprinters, Brown is a former Canadian record holder in the 200 metres, breaking the 23-year-old mark in late May 2014 before lowering it to 20.02 seconds that June. Although De Grasse eventually broke the record, Brown improved his personal best to 19.98 seconds in 2018 and then to 19.95 seconds in July 2019. On June 11, 2016, he became only the fourth Canadian to break the 10-second barrier in the 100 metres, clocking 9.96 seconds in Florida. He and De Grasse remain the only Canadians to have run under 10 seconds in the 100 metres and under 20 seconds in the 200 metres.
Brown debuted at the World Athletics Championships in 2013, helping Canada secure bronze in the 4×100-metre relay. He ran the opening leg when Canada successfully defended this bronze medal in 2015. Earlier, he anchored the 4×100-metre relay team that appeared to win gold at the Pan Am Games in Toronto before a lane violation led to disqualification.
Brown faced setbacks in 2017, including a disqualification for a false start in the 100-metre heats at the Canadian Championships and a lane violation in the 200-metre heats at the World Athletics Championships. He contributed to the team’s sixth-place finish in the 4×100-metre relay at the Worlds, competing without De Grasse, who had to withdraw due to a hamstring injury.
Previously, Brown won bronze in the 200 metres at the 2010 World Junior Athletics Championships and silver in the 100 metres at the 2009 World Youth Athletics Championships. At the 2011 Pan American Junior Championships, he earned bronze in the 100 metres and silver in the 4×100-metre relay. He competed collegiately for the USC Trojans, winning bronze in the 100 metres and silver in the 200 metres at the 2014 NCAA Championships.
Achievements from 2018 to 2023
In 2018, Brown’s career took an upward turn, beginning with a silver medal in the 200 metres at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast. He climbed the podium at three consecutive Diamond League events and became a double gold medallist in the 100 and 200 metres at the Canadian Championships. He capped off the season with a silver medal in the 200 metres and gold in the 4×100-metre relay at the NACAC Championships in Toronto.
In 2019, Brown successfully defended his sprint titles at the Canadian Championships. He reached the finals in both the 100 and 200 metres at the World Athletics Championships, joining De Grasse as the only men to compete in both sprint finals in Doha. After a pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Brown began 2021 with back-to-back bronze medals at the Golden Spike meet in Ostrava and the Diamond League event in Doha. He claimed his third consecutive Canadian title in the 100 and 200 metres. On Canada Day, he earned silver in the 200 metres at the Diamond League event in Oslo.
A Few Facts About Aaron Brown
Aaron Brown started training in track and field at age 16, inspired by his high school coach, Bill Stephens, and watching the 100-metre final at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. This sparked his ambition to represent Canada, marking the beginning of his success. Brown graduated from the University of Southern California in 2014, specializing in political science and gaining some business education.
In addition to athletics, Brown enjoys playing basketball, traveling, listening to and composing music, exploring art, and collecting sneakers and mascot dolls from the competitions he attends. When asked how to achieve success, he often says: “To be No. 1, you have to train like you’re No. 2.”