Five Time World and Olympic Champion in 100 metres, Donovan Bailey, speaks with Sportskeeda about his success in running, the athlete he admired the most in 2016 Rio Olympics and Usain Bolt.
The Jamaican-born Canadian sprinter had a distinguished career and was at the top of his game in the 1990s. During his great career, he won two gold medals in the Olympic Games of Atlanta in 1996 (100 m, 4 x 100 m relay), two gold medals in the World Championships of Gothenburg in 1995 (100 m, 4 x 100 m relay), a gold medal (4 x 100 m relay) and a silver medal (100 m) in 1997 Athens World Championships. He is also a Commonwealth, a Pan American and a Canadian champion.
The legendary athlete held the record of 9.84 seconds in 100 m (Atlanta 1996 Olympics) for years. The World Record was broken by Maurice Greene in 1999, the Commonwealth Record by Asafa Powell in 2005 and the Olympic Record by Usain Bolt at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The record still holds as the current Canadian Record (shared with Bruny Surin since 1999).
Everybody recognises you as a successful sprinter, one of the best of all time. Now that 15 years have passed since you retired in 2001, how would you describe your career in running from your own point of view?
One of the greatest of all-time. (In 2005, Donovan Bailey was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame and in 2004 and 2008 was inducted into the Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.)
You held the World Record, the Commonwealth Record and the Olympic Record in 100 m with 9.84 seconds from your win in 1996 Olympic Games of Atlanta. Were you enjoying this success?
Being named track and field sprinter of the decade was great. (In 2000, Donovan Bailey was named Sprinter of the (90s) Decade by Track and Field News, the famous US magazine which has been "The Bible Of The Sport" since its founding in 1948)
9.84s was the World Record until 1999, the Olympic Record until 2008 and the Commonwealth Record until 2005. How did you react to it being broken in each competition? Were you happy that someone broke the record or sad that you weren't the holder anymore?
All records are made to be broken and I am always happy with that. I will always be an Olympic champion and a World champion.
Usain Bolt holds the current record of 9.58s. You have estimated that had Bolt not slowed down near the end of the 100 m dash in 2009 Berlin World Championships, he could have set a time of 9.55 seconds. Do you think that Bolt might have slowed down in order to have the capacity for a possible world record the following years?
He wanted to win. He wasn’t thinking about the world record at that time.
Usain Bolt amazed the world of Sports with his world records in 100 m and 200 m in 2009. Seven years have passed and Bolt still continues to win everything but hasn't managed to break those records. Is this a failure for Bolt or just the limits of nature that are impossible to be exceeded further?
Bolt has set the current bar high for sprinters and someone will be along to break his records in the far far future.
I have heard athletes claiming that they have broken the world records in their training, but races are another story. What about you? Did you ever record a time faster than your world record (9.84 seconds) in training?
We worked on technical things in training and never focused on timing or breaking records there.
In 1997, you took part in an unusual race of 150 m in Toronto against Michael Johnson which would determine the world's fastest man in the world. Initially, you refused, but eventually, you participated and won. What this race meant for you and the rivalry you had with Michael Johnson?
I was very confident that I would win. Power speed will always beat speed endurance.
Who impressed you the most from the races of running in 2016 Rio Olympics?
Wayde van Niekerk (1992-born, South African track and field sprinter who competes in the 200 metres and 400 metres. He won 400 m in Rio Olympics with a World Record: 43.03 seconds)
You were born in Jamaica, but you represented Canada as a sprinter. What is so special about these two countries and regularly produce great sprinters? Does it have to do with the facilities or a special running program that exists there?
Jamaica is the greatest grassroots training country for track and field in the world. Canada is where my parents moved to. Most athletes leave Canada to train in warm climates.
After racing, you found your own company called DBX Sport Management for helping amateur athletes find a way to promote themselves. You also started a sports injury clinic in Oakville, Ontario and you worked as a track commentator for CBC Television at the 2008 Summer Olympics. What are your occupations currently?
I work on media and run my charity foundation The Donovan Bailey Foundation.
