Bruny Surin

Biography

Bruny Surin is a four-time Olympian who teamed with Donovan Bailey, Glenroy Gilbert, Robert Esmie and Carlton Chambers to win 4x100m relay gold at Atlanta 1996. Surin ran the third leg of the final as the Canadians became the first team to ever defeat the United States for the Olympic gold medal in the men’s 4x100m relay. Their time of 37.69 seconds stood as a national record for 20 years.

Surin also won two world titles in the 4x100m relay in 1995 and 1997, which followed a bronze medal in 1993. He stood on the world championship podium twice as an individual, winning 100m silver in 1995 and 1999. To win the latter, he tied the Canadian record of 9.84 seconds that Bailey had run to win 100m gold at Atlanta 1996, a mark that still stands. Surin was twice a world indoor champion in the 60m in 1993 and 1995. He holds in the Canadian record of 6.45 seconds in that event.

Surin just missed a medal in the 100m at Barcelona 1992 when he finished fourth, five one-hundredths of a second out of third place. It was only a year earlier that he had qualified for his first world championship final in the 100m. Surin made his Olympic debut at Seoul 1988 as a long jumper. His final Olympic appearance came at Sydney 2000.

Surin is a two-time medallist at the Commonwealth Games, winning 100m bronze in 1990 and 4x100m relay gold in 1994. He was inducted to the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 2004 and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2008 alongside his Atlanta 1996 relay teammates. Surin served as Team Canada’s Chef de Mission at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires.