Plot

Donovan Bailey was often misunderstood because of his confidence and maligned because of his bravado. The world was about to realize that none of this mattered to Bailey, he was on a mission to flip the world of track and field on its head.—Shane Fennessey

There is no question that hockey has long united Canada. Few realize, however, that it was Donovan Bailey -- at the 1996 Games in Atlanta -- who planted the seed of the pride and passion that would change how Canadians felt about themselves and their country. Prior to the Centennial Games, in Atlanta in 1996, Canada had won only one gold medal in the 100 meters.

For Bailey, and for the nation, the Atlanta Games were first and foremost about redemption. Not only did Bailey possess the unique athletic ability, but also, like most sprinters, he was supremely confident. As he famously stated following Atlanta, simply participating was not an option -- he had been determined to win the Games' glamour event. At the time, this attitude was new and not always well received by Canadians. To put it simply, it was In-Canadian. With his July 27 performance, and the now famous victory photograph as he crossed the finish line, he had indeed set in motion a change in our country, but Canadian medical staff was "pointing fingers" at Bailey and "holding their breath" until he was cleared.

For some, Bailey's triumph in the 100 meters rankled. Following his gold-medal performance, some American commentators maintained that the title of the "World's Fastest Man" belonged not to the winner of the 100 meters, as had been the case for one hundred years, but to the winner of the 200-meter race, who just happened to be American Michael Johnson. This inspired Canadian passion and pride and led to a 150-meter match race between Bailey and Johnson in 1997 at Toronto's SkyDome, which Bailey easily won.