Donovan
Bailey, born, Manchester, Jamaica, 1967, moved to Canada at age 13. After
attending Queen Elizabeth Park High School, Oakville, Ontario, Donovan
attended Sheridan College, graduating in Economics. Although between 1990-1994
he participated in track events at the international level, he did not
take track seriously until he began working with trainer Dan Pfaff, 1995,
the same year he became World Champion in the 100m. On July 27, 1996, he
became an international sensation when, at the Summer Olympics, Atlanta,
Georgia, he won the 100 metres in the world-record time of 9.84. He was
also a member of the men’s 4x100m Olympic relay team, capturing a second
Gold Medal. The same year, Donovan set a world indoor record of 5.56 over
50 metres at Reno, Nevada. A complete rupture of his Achilles tendon, in
the fall of 1998, put a temporary halt to his career. It certainly will
surprise no one, however, to see Donovan overcome adversity in the year
2000 and once again represent Canada, this time at the Sydney, Australia,
Olympics. In this historic photograph taken by Peter Thompson of Mississauga,
Ontario, Donovan Bailey crosses the finish line first in the 100-metre
finals at the 1996 Olympics. His win in world-record time gave credence
to his claim that he was, in 1996, the world’s fastest human being. [Photo,
courtesy Peter J. Thompson]