Posted: May 23, 2004

Athletics: Donovan Bailey and Abby Hoffman to Be Inducted Into the Sports Hall of Fame

Athletics Canada would like to congratulate Donovan Bailey and Abby Hoffman who will be inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame at a special gala taking place on November 1 at the Fairmount Royal York Hotel in Toronto, ON.

Donovan Bailey thrilled Canadians with his gold medal winning performance at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, GA in a then world record time of 9.84 seconds. This time still stands as the Olympic record. He followed this up with another gold medal when he teamed up with Robert Esmie, Glenroy Gilbert and Bruny Surin in the 4x100 metre men’s relay. Bailey represented Canada on numerous occasions at events such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games and World Championships. Bailey was also the winner of the Lionel Conacher and Lou Marsh trophies in 1996.

Abby Hoffman represented Canada with distinction from 1962 to 1976. She competed in 4 Olympic Games, and 2 Commonwealth Games, capturing the gold in 1966 in the 880 yards. A tireless worker for women in sport, Hoffman was the first female director of Sport Canada (1981-1991) where she developed the Athlete Assistance and Best Ever programs.

Canada's Sports Hall of Fame was opened in 1955 to preserve the record of Canadian sports achievements. It collects, preserves, researchs, exhibits and interprets a collection of artifacts relating specifically to its Honoured Members. The Hall of Fame honours outstanding amateur and professional athletes in more than four dozen sports.

From AthleticsCanada.com.