Angella Taylor-Issajenko facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Angella Taylor-Issajenko

Personal information
Birth name	Angella Taylor
Born	(1958-09-28) September 28, 1958 (age 66) Jamaica
Medal record Women's athletics Representing  Canada Olympic Games Silver 1984 Los Angeles 4×100 m relay Commonwealth Games Gold 1982 Brisbane 100 metres Gold 1982 Brisbane 4×400 metres Silver 1982 Brisbane 4×100 metres Bronze 1982 Brisbane 200 metres Gold 1986 Edinburgh 200 metres Silver 1986 Edinburgh 4×100 metres Bronze 1986 Edinburgh 100 metres Pan American Games Silver 1979 San Juan 200 metres Bronze 1979 San Juan 100 metres Universiade Silver 1983 Edmonton 4 × 100 m relay Bronze 1983 Edmonton 100 metres

Angella Taylor-Issajenko is a Canadian coach and a former sprinter. She was born Angella Taylor on September 28, 1958, in Jamaica. She is known for her amazing speed on the track. Angella won a silver medal at the Olympic Games in 1984. This was for the 4 × 100 metres relay race. She also won many medals at the Commonwealth Games. These included gold medals in the 100 metres in 1982 and the 200 metres in 1986.

Angella's Early Career in Athletics

Angella Taylor started showing her talent in 1979. This was at the Pan American Games in San Juan. She earned a bronze medal in the 100 metres race. She also won a silver medal in the 200 metres race. During these games, she set new Canadian records. Her 100m time was 11.20 seconds. Her 200m time was 22.80 seconds.

Canada did not send athletes to the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. Even so, Angella did very well in other races that summer. She won several competitions. She also finished second in the 100m race in Zürich. She was third in the 200m race there too. She won the 200m title at the Liberty Bell Classic. This event was an alternative to the boycotted Olympics. By the end of 1981, she had improved her Canadian records. Her 100m time was 11.12 seconds. Her 200m time was 22.55 seconds.

Commonwealth Games Success

In 1982, Angella became the Commonwealth Games champion in the 100 metres. She finished the race in 11.00 seconds. This was a new record for the Commonwealth Games. She also helped Canada win a gold medal in the 4 × 400 metres relay. She ran the final part of the race, securing the win.

She also earned a bronze medal in the 200 metres race. And she won a silver medal as part of the 4 × 100 metres relay team. She kept breaking her own Canadian records. Her 100m record became 11.00 seconds. Her 200m record became 22.25 seconds. After this busy year, she had an injury to her sciatic nerve. This caused her some trouble for the rest of her career.

Later Career and Achievements

In 1983, Angella competed at the World University Games in Edmonton. She won a bronze medal in the 100 metres. She also earned a silver medal in the 4 × 100 metres relay. Later that year, she finished seventh in the 100 metres at the World Championships. She decided not to run in the relay race there.

Angella won an Olympic silver medal in 1984. This was with the Canadian 4 × 100 metres relay team. In 1985, she was given the Order of Canada. This is a high honor in Canada. She also became a mother that year. In 1986, she was known as Angella Issajenko. She became the Commonwealth Champion again. This time, it was in the 200 metres race. She also won a bronze in the 100 metres. And she got a silver medal with the 4 × 100 metres relay team.

In 1987, Angella Issajenko set a world record indoors. She ran the 50 metres in 6.06 seconds in Ottawa. She also won a silver medal at the 1987 World Indoor Championships. She finished very close to Nelli Cooman. Both runners had a time of 7.08 seconds. But Cooman was given the gold medal after a photo finish. In the summer of 1987, she broke her national record for 100 metres again. Her new time was 10.97 seconds. She finished fifth at the World Championships. From 1979 to 1987, she was often ranked among the top ten sprinters in the world.

Angella Taylor-Issajenko's career faced some challenges related to sports rules. In 1989, she admitted to issues with sports rules. Because of this, the IAAF (the world athletics organization) took away her 1987 World Indoor Championships silver medal. Other athletes were then moved up in the rankings.

Today, Angella Issajenko is a single mother of four adult children. She works with students who have learning disabilities. She has also returned to track and field as a coach. She coaches at the city of Toronto's track and field center. This center is located at York University.

Her best personal times are:

• 100m – 10.97 seconds
• 200m – 22.25 seconds
• 400m – 51.81 seconds

Angella's Major Achievements

• 10 Times Canadian National 100 metres Champion: 1979–84, 1986–88, 1992
• 8 Times Canadian National 200 metres Champion: 1979–84, 1986–87

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing  Canada
1978	Commonwealth Games	Edmonton, Alberta, Canada	heats	200 m	23.81
1979	Pan American Games	San Juan, Puerto Rico	3rd	100 m	11.36
			2nd	200 m	22.74w
	World Cup	Montreal, Quebec, Canada	5th	100 m	11.50
			5th	200m	22.83
			5th	4 × 100 m	43.99
1981	World Cup	Rome, Italy	4th	100m	11.18
			4th	200m	22.67
			4th	4 × 100 m	43.06
1982	Commonwealth Games	Brisbane, Australia	1st	100m	11.00
			3rd	200 m	22.48w
			2nd	4 × 100 m	43.66
			1st	4 × 400 m	3:27.70
1983	Summer Universiade	Edmonton, Alberta, Canada	3rd	100 m	11.17
			4th	200m	22.81
			2nd	4 × 100 m	43.21
1983	World Championships	Helsinki, Finland	7th	100 m	11.30
1984	Olympic Games	Los Angeles, California, United States	8th	100 m	11.62
			2nd	4 × 100 m	42.77
1986	Commonwealth Games	Edinburgh, Scotland	3rd	100 m	11.21
			1st	200 m	22.91
			2nd	4 × 100 m	43.83
1987	World Indoor Championships	Indianapolis, Indiana United States	DISQ	60 m	DISQ
	World Championships	Rome, Italy	5th	100 m	11.09
			6th	4 × 100 m	43.26
1988	Olympic Games	Seoul, South Korea	quarter-final	100 m	11.27
			semi-final	4 × 100 m	43.82

Note: In 1987, at the World Indoor Championships, Issajenko ran 7.08sec to win the silver medal behind Dutch Sprinter, Nelli Cooman. This medal was later removed due to issues with sports rules. The Bulgarian Anelia Nuneva was then given the silver medal, and fellow Canadian Angela Bailey received the bronze.
Note: At the World Cup in 1979 and 1981, Taylor-Issajenko was representing the Americas continent.

See also

In Spanish: Angella Taylor-Issajenko para niños

• List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences