One in all Canada’s most iconic Olympic athletes of all time Donovan Bailey was appointed an Officer of Order of Canada on Wednesday, amongst 85 appointees from the worlds of movie, music, science, politics, enterprise, lecturers, sport and tradition.
The Order of Canada is without doubt one of the highest civilian honours, and acknowledges those that have made particular contributions to the nation.
Bailey, who immigrated to Canada from Jamaica when he was 12, was the primary Canadian to legally break the 10-second barrier when he gained gold on the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. On the time, Bailey’s 9.84 seconds set a world report, which stood for 2 years and 11 months. Bailey nonetheless holds the Canadian 100m report to today.
He additionally gained gold with the boys’s 4x100m relay crew on the 1996 Olympics alongside Bruny Surin, Glenroy Gilbert and Robert Esmie.
In 1997, Bailey raced towards the 200m Olympic champion Michael Johnson over 150m at Toronto’s Skydome to find out the World’s Quickest Man. Bailey gained the race in 14.99 seconds, with Johnson pulling up midway.
The three-time world and two-time Olympic champion retired from observe and subject in 2001 to begin his personal firm, serving to newbie athletes promote themselves onto the scene. In 2004, he was inducted into the Canadian Sports activities Corridor of Fame. Since 2008, Bailey has labored on and off as a observe commentator for CBC throughout the summer time Olympics.