Bruny Surin
Encyclopedia
Bruny Surin is a Canadian
athlete, winner of a gold medal in the 4x100 m relay
at the 1996 Summer Olympics
. In 2008 he was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
as part of the 1996 Summer Olympics 4x100 relay team.
, Haïti
, and moved to Canada with his family in 1975. He made his debut for Canada at the 1987 Pan-American Games, placing fifteenth in the long jump
, a result he repeated at the 1988 Olympics
.
After the Olympic Games in Seoul in 1988, manager Enrico Dionisi brought Surin to Siena
and he was trained by the Italian coach Franco Barucci. Barucci persuaded Surin away from his favoured long jump event, in favour of the 100 m. Barucci predicted he could run 10.10 seconds for the event. Surin won the following Canadian championships in 10.14 seconds.
At the 1990 Commonwealth Games
, Surin won a bronze medal in 100 m and was seventh in the long jump. At the 1991 World Championships
, Surin was eighth in the 100 m, and at the 1992 Summer Olympics
he was 4th in the 100m and reached the semifinals as a member of Canadian 4x100 m relay team.
At the 1993 World Championships
, Surin was fifth in 100 m and won a bronze medal as a member of Canadian 4x100 m relay team. At the 1994 Commonwealth Games
, Surin won the gold medal in 4x100 m relay and was eliminated in the semifinal of 100 m. At the 1995 World Championships
, Surin won a silver medal in 100 m and a gold medal as a member of Canadian 4x100 m relay team.
At the Atlanta
Olympics
, the Canadian relay team were not favoured, although they had won almost all of the titles available during the previous two years, but they had done it in absence of the United States
team. However, in the 4x100 m relay final, the Canadian team beat United States by almost half a second, establishing itself the best relay team in the world. Surin also reached the semifinal of 100 m in the same competition.
Surin and the Canadian team won a gold medal again at the 1997 World Championships
and at the 1998 Goodwill Games
. He was also seventh in 100 m at the 1997 World Championships and won a silver medal in 100 m at the 1999 World Championships
. His time matched Donovan Bailey
's Canadian record of 9.84. At the time, this was the fastest losing time in a 100 m race.
At the 2000 Summer Olympics
, Surin, one of the gold medal favorites, had not fully recovered from a leg injury sustained at the Canadian championships earlier that summer, and was eliminated in the semifinals of the 100m after slowing down visibly in pain and walking the rest of the way through the finish line. His last major championship race was in the semifinals of the 100 m at the 2001 World Championships
, where he injured himself again and was pushed off the track in a wheelchair.
In 2002, Surin travelled to the US and competed in the Alamogordo invitational tournament. In this tournament he competed in the 400m race and finished first with a time of 46.54 seconds. He beat second place runner Tim Willy who had a time of 47.02 seconds.
In 2009, Surin became the new Canadian 50 meters record holder (40-45 age group) with a time of 6.15s at the McGill Open.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
athlete, winner of a gold medal in the 4x100 m relay
Relay race
During a relay race, members of a team take turns running, orienteering, swimming, cross-country skiing, biathlon, or ice skating parts of a circuit or performing a certain action. Relay races take the form of professional races and amateur games...
at the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
. In 2008 he was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame is a hall of fame established in 1955 to "preserve the record of Canadian sports achievements and to promote a greater awareness of Canada's heritage of sport." It is located at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta...
as part of the 1996 Summer Olympics 4x100 relay team.
Career
Surin was born in Cap-HaïtienCap-Haïtien
Cap-Haïtien is a city of about 190,000 people on the north coast of Haiti and capital of the Department of Nord...
, Haïti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, and moved to Canada with his family in 1975. He made his debut for Canada at the 1987 Pan-American Games, placing fifteenth in the long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
, a result he repeated at the 1988 Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
.
After the Olympic Games in Seoul in 1988, manager Enrico Dionisi brought Surin to Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
and he was trained by the Italian coach Franco Barucci. Barucci persuaded Surin away from his favoured long jump event, in favour of the 100 m. Barucci predicted he could run 10.10 seconds for the event. Surin won the following Canadian championships in 10.14 seconds.
At the 1990 Commonwealth Games
1990 Commonwealth Games
The 1990 Commonwealth Games were held in Auckland, New Zealand from 24 January-3 February 1990. It was the 14th Commonwealth Games, and part of New Zealand's 1990 sesquicentennial celebrations. Participants competed in ten sports: athletics, aquatics, badminton, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, judo,...
, Surin won a bronze medal in 100 m and was seventh in the long jump. At the 1991 World Championships
1991 World Championships in Athletics
The 3rd World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held in the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan between August 23 and September 1 and athletes from 167 countries participated in the event.The event is best-remembered for the...
, Surin was eighth in the 100 m, and at the 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
he was 4th in the 100m and reached the semifinals as a member of Canadian 4x100 m relay team.
At the 1993 World Championships
1993 World Championships in Athletics
The 4th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held in the Gottlieb Daimler Stadium, Stuttgart, Germany between August 13 and August 22 with the participation of 187 nations....
, Surin was fifth in 100 m and won a bronze medal as a member of Canadian 4x100 m relay team. At the 1994 Commonwealth Games
1994 Commonwealth Games
The 1994 Commonwealth Games were held in Victoria, in the province of British Columbia in Canada, from 18 August to 28 August 1994.The XV Commonwealth Games marked South Africa's return to the Commonwealth Games following the apartheid era, and over 30 years since the country last competed in the...
, Surin won the gold medal in 4x100 m relay and was eliminated in the semifinal of 100 m. At the 1995 World Championships
1995 World Championships in Athletics
The 5th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, Sweden between August 5 and August 13.This edition featured 1804 athletes from 191 nations....
, Surin won a silver medal in 100 m and a gold medal as a member of Canadian 4x100 m relay team.
At the Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
Olympics
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, the Canadian relay team were not favoured, although they had won almost all of the titles available during the previous two years, but they had done it in absence of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
team. However, in the 4x100 m relay final, the Canadian team beat United States by almost half a second, establishing itself the best relay team in the world. Surin also reached the semifinal of 100 m in the same competition.
Surin and the Canadian team won a gold medal again at the 1997 World Championships
1997 World Championships in Athletics
The 6th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece between August 1 and August 10, 1997. In this event participated 1882 athletes from 198 participant nations...
and at the 1998 Goodwill Games
1998 Goodwill Games
The 1998 Goodwill Games was the fourth edition of the international sports competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s. The competition was held in New York, United States from July 19 to August 2, 1998.-Medal table:-References:*...
. He was also seventh in 100 m at the 1997 World Championships and won a silver medal in 100 m at the 1999 World Championships
1999 World Championships in Athletics
The 7th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Estadio Olímpico, Seville, Spain, between the August 20 and August 29....
. His time matched Donovan Bailey
Donovan Bailey
Donovan Bailey is a retired Canadian sprinter, who once held the world record for the 100 metres race following his gold medal performance in the 1996 Olympic Games. He was the first Canadian to legally break the 10-second barrier in the 100 m...
's Canadian record of 9.84. At the time, this was the fastest losing time in a 100 m race.
At the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, Surin, one of the gold medal favorites, had not fully recovered from a leg injury sustained at the Canadian championships earlier that summer, and was eliminated in the semifinals of the 100m after slowing down visibly in pain and walking the rest of the way through the finish line. His last major championship race was in the semifinals of the 100 m at the 2001 World Championships
2001 World Championships in Athletics
The 8th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada between 3 August and 12 August and was the first time the event had visited North America...
, where he injured himself again and was pushed off the track in a wheelchair.
In 2002, Surin travelled to the US and competed in the Alamogordo invitational tournament. In this tournament he competed in the 400m race and finished first with a time of 46.54 seconds. He beat second place runner Tim Willy who had a time of 47.02 seconds.
In 2009, Surin became the new Canadian 50 meters record holder (40-45 age group) with a time of 6.15s at the McGill Open.