Donovan Bailey timeline.

he was born in manchester, jamaica in 1967. he immigrated to canada at the age of 12 years old. He is the fourth child of five sons to George and Daisy bailey. before he went to Mount Olivet Primary School, he would take care of his family’s chickens, goats, and pigs. he was really fast as a young boy, with his former teacher Clairs Lambert says “he showed his athletic skills from grade one. He always came first in races”.

when he came to Canada he played basketball before graduating from Queen Elizabeth Park High School. during high school his brother O’Neil won 4 Ontario Provincial titles in the long jump. Donovan was exceptionally fast as well, clocking 10.65 seconds in the 100m at the age of 16. however his main interest was in basketball. after graduating in June 1984, he attended Sheridan College for which he played basketball during 1986-1987 school year.

It was only in 1990 that Bailey decided to begin racing professionally, after watching the 1990 Canadian Track and Field Championships, he realized that most of the men competing were men he had beaten in high school. He began training as a 100m sprinter part-time, whilst working as a stockbroker.

In 1991, he won the 60 metres at the Ontario Indoor Championships, and at the Pan American Games in Havana, He anchored Canada's metres relay team, to a silver medal. In 1992, He finished second in the 100m at the national championships. he claimed a bronze in the 100m and a silver in the 200m at the 1993 national championships, a silver in the 100m and gold in the metres at the Francophone Games in Paris, and a gold medal in the at the Commonwealth Games in British Columbia.

He made history by breaking the 10-second for the first time in the 100m, the 18th man and 2nd Canadian to do so. His time of 9.99 seconds was just 4 hundredths. Ben Johnson's record was 9.95. In July, he broke the record with 9.91 at the national championships, the fastest time of the year, his name was favourited for the gold medal at the World Championships in Gothenburg. He went on to win the title in 9.97 seconds, then anchored Canada first world championship gold in the 4x100m.

With a world title now under his belt, he was favourited for the Olympic title. He broke the indoor 50 m world record in Reno, Nevada. He was timed at 5.56 seconds. He was officially selected to represent Canada at the 1996 Summer Olympics after winning his 3rd consecutive national title in the 100m. Donovan won the Olympic 100m title a new world record of 9.84 seconds. a top speed of 12.10 m/s (43.6 km/h or 27.1 mph), which was the fastest top speed ever recorded by a human being.

In 1997 World Championships in Athens, Donovan attempted to defend his 100m title, but was beaten by Maurice Greene and was forced to settle for the silver medal in 9.91 seconds. Donovan and the 4 x 100 metre Canadian relay team won a silver medal with a time of 38.23 at the 1998 Goodwill Games in New York, finishing behind the United States. Bailey ruptured his Achilles tendon while playing basketball during the post season of 1998, which began to end of his athletics career.

He won a silver medal with the Canadian 4 x 100 metre relay team with a time of 38.49 at the Pan American Games in Winnipeg, finishing behind Brazil. The silver medal matched his first international medal he won eight years earlier at the 1991Pan American Games in the 4 x 100 metre relay and it would be his final international medal. he was part of the Canadian 4 x 100 metre relay team at the World Championships in Seville but the team was disqualified in the first round of heats.

He made a second attempt in the 2000 Summer Olympics, but suffered from pneumonia and dropped out during the rounds. He retired from the sport in 2001 after the World Championships in Edmonton, having been a three-time World and 2 time Olympic champion

After racing, Bailey started his own company called DBX Sport Management which helps amateur athletes find a way to promote themselves. He also started a sport injury clinic in Oakville, Ontario. He has been inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame twice in 2004 as an individual, and in 2008 as part of the 1996 Summer Olympics 4 × 100 relay team. In August 2008 Bailey began work as a track commentator for CBC Television at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

He is a married man. He got married to his wife Michelle Mullin in 2004 and together the pair have a daughter who is known as Adrienna Bailey.

in 2010 he was one of the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards presented by Canadian Immigrant Magazine. In 2016, he was made a member of the Order of Ontario. In 2017, Canada's Walk of Fame honoured him with a star. In 2018, it was reported that Bailey had provided his entire athlete's trust of $3.75 million to Aird & Berlis lawyer Stuart Bollefer, who invested it in what was determined to be a tax evasion scheme by the Canadian government. he lost the full amount due to the scheme. you