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Donovan Bailey was 23 years old before he broke 11secs for the 100 metres and it was not until 1994 that he made his mark on the world ranking lists when he was placed 22nd with a time of 10.03secs. That year saw him win his first gold medal when Canada won the 4 x 100metres at the Commonwealth Games. Within a year of that he was the World champion! In July 1995 he won the Canadian 100m. championship with 9.91secs. from Bruny Surin (9.97secs.) and suddenly he was the man they all had to beat at the 'Worlds' in August, but no one did.
His winning time in the final was 9.97secs. with runner-up Surin recording 10.03secs. The pair then added another gold when they were joined by Esmie and Gilbert to take the 4 x 100m. in 38.31secs. from Australia (the USA dropped the baton in the heats). Donovan's 9.91secs. in Canada was the fastest time during 1995 and the only other athlete to break 10.00 secs, apart from the Canadian pair, was Linford Christie with his 9.97 at the altitude of Johannesburg in September (Christie finished 6th at the Worlds). Christie actually beat Bailey five times in their nine contests but not, of course, when it really mattered. Donovan's other sub-10.00secs. was at Baton Rouge on 22 April (9.99 secs. (George Herringshaw)
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Donovan Bailey wins the 1996 Olympic Games 100 metres. Photos G. Herringshaw ©
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World Champion he may have been, but at the Atlanta Olympic Games the two semifinals of the 100 metres were won in impressive style by Frank Fredericks (9.94secs) and Alto Boldon (9.93secs) and the expectation was that one of these two would take Linford Christie's crown in the event of the ageing maestro failing to successfully defend it. Two false starts saw Christie depart without the chance to show whether he could yet again rise to the occasion. Three false starts in total did nothing to calm the nerves of the sprinters but once the race got under way the two pre-race favourites had moved into the lead by 60 metres. But thereupon the World Champion closed the gap, overtook the pair and clinched his second 'major' with Fredericks runner-up ahead of Boldon.
After crossing the line Donovan was able to see that his victory was further enhanced by the fact he had just shaved a tenth of a second off the World record of 9.85 set by Leroy Burrell in Lausanne on 6th July 1994 . [(The photo above shows the scene)] Donovan had recorded 9.84secs. to become that most honoured of athletes: one who wins an Olympic title in a world record performance. To add to the Olympic dream he then helped Canada win the 4 x 100m. relay seven days later, beating the USA in the process. The year before the Canadian quartet of Esmie, Gilbert, Surin and Bailey had won the World title but without the USA competing - this victory confirmed their status as the champions. (George Herringshaw)
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1997 World Champion in Athens. Image G. H. ©
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Donovan Bailey knew he was up against very strong opposition at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics but still came out the top man. The same situation met him at the World Championships in Athens where the new No.1 challenger to his World crown was Maurice Greene of the United States only this time the Canadian was unable to repeat his "majors" victories of 1995 and 1996. Even though he saved his best time of the year for the final (9.91secs.) he had to be content with second place behind the 9.86 performance of Greene. Three Americans contested the final and two finished either side of Donovan with Tim Montgomery taking the bronze medal in 9.94secs. The other Olympic 100metres medallists of 1996, Frank Fredericks and Ato Boldon came 4th and 5th but took first and second in the 200 metres final won by Ato. However, the Canadian did not leave Greece without a gold medal because once again the quartet of Robert Esmie, Glenroy Gilbert, Bruny Surin and Donovan Bailey took the 4 x 100metres title as they had done in Gothenburg in 1995. (George Herringshaw)
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Donovan Bailey in Seville in 1999. Photo G. Herringshaw. ©
| In 1998 Donovan Bailey came second to his team mate Bruny Surin (9.89secs.) in the Canadian Championships with his best time of the year 9.93 seconds. It ranked him seventh in the world that season but the month also marked the end of his career as a medal contender at the major championships because days later that he sustained an Achilles tendon injury from which he never fully recovered. In 1999 his best time was 10.30secs. which did not rank in the world top 100. To add insult to injury the great Canadian 4 x 100m. relay team, Olympic and World Champions, were disqualified in the heats of the 1999 World championships in Seville. [(An experience reflected in Donovan's face above !)] It was his third World Championship but the first at which he went home empty-handed. The man who had taken over from Linford Christie in 1995 as the World's most accomplished sprinter was now in the shadow of Maurice Greene. He was by now over thirty and time had caught up with him though he was still good enough to compete in the 2000 Olympics for Canada in the 100 metres. (George Herringshaw) |