“Golden” - 1996 Olympic relay team to be inducted to Canadian Sports Hall of Fame

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

OTTAWA – Athletics Canada congratulates the 1996 Olympic Games gold medal winning 4x100 metres relay team which will be inducted to the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.  The team of Donovan Bailey, Carleton Chambers, Robert Esmie, Glenroy Gilbert and Bruny Surin will be inducted on November 5th 2008 at a ceremony in Toronto.   The announcement was made today by Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. 

The coming summer will mark the 12th anniversary of that remarkable night in Atlanta when five young men captured the country’s imagination.  The picture of Surin raising his arms triumphantly as Bailey sprints to the finish line is still engrained in most Canadians minds   Bailey was a double gold medalist in Atlanta winning 100 metre gold in a then World record time of 9.84.  The relay team’s victory only days later on August 8th gave Canada its first two gold medals in athletics since the 1928 Games in Amsterdam.

Going into Atlanta the team were reigning world champions and had also won gold at the Commonwealth Games.  They were inducted into the Canadian Olympic Committee Hall of Fame in 2004.

Athletics Canada is the national sport governing body for the sport of track and field, cross-country running, road running and road racing.

-AC-

For more information:
Mathieu Gentès
Marketing and Communications Director
Athletics Canada
mgentes@athletics.ca
613-260-5580 ext. 3303

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