Donate Today EN | FR
Hall of Famers

Hall of Famer

DONOVAN BAILEY

Inducted in 2004, 2008

Member Details

Date of Birth: December 16, 1967
Place of Birth: Manchester, Jamaica
Sport: Athletics
Member Category: Athlete

Career Highlights

1995

World Championships - 1st place in 100m race and 4 x 100m relay

1996

Atlanta Olympic Games - Gold Medal 100m and 4x100m relay

Triple title - World Champion, Olympic Champion, and World record holder

1996-99

World record holder of 9.84 seconds for 100m race

2000

Track and Field News Sprinter of the Decade

Hall of Famer DONOVAN BAILEY
Sport

Story

Unlike many athletes, Donovan Bailey wasn't always interested in making a name for himself at the Olympic Games. He worked as a successful marketing and investment consultant for several years before starting serious training in track and field. Under the tutelage of coach Dan Pfaff, Bailey quickly honed his skills and began taking first place wins in the 4 x 100m relay at both the Commonwealth Games and the Francophone Games in 1994, as well as the 100m race at the 1995 Canadian Championships in Montreal. Bailey remained on top at the 1995 World Championships in Goteborg, Sweden, winning first place in both the 100m race and the 4 x 100m relay. He claimed first place in both of these races once again at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, setting a new world record of 9.84 seconds in the 100m sprint. These fantastic feats earned Bailey the rare triple title of World Champion, Olympic Champion, and World Record Holder in the 100m race, an achievement that has been accomplished by only one other athlete. In 1997, Bailey beat American sprinting champion Michael Johnson in a much publicized 150m race to determine who was the "World's Fastest Man." He was named Sprinter of the Decade by Track and Field News in 2000.