Bruny Surin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Bruny Surin
CM CQ

Bruny Surin at the Maisonneuve College
Personal information
Nationality	Canadian
Born	(1967-07-12) July 12, 1967 (age 58) Cap-Haitien, Haiti
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight	81 kilograms (179 lb)
Sport
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	100 metres
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	100 m : 9.84 (Sevilla 1999) 200 m : 20.21 (Brussels 1999)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  Canada Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 0 0 World Championships 2 2 1 World Indoor Championships 2 0 0 Commonwealth Games 1 0 1 Goodwill Games 0 1 0 Jeux de la Francophonie 1 0 0 Total 7 3 2 Olympic Games Gold 1996 Atlanta 4 × 100 m relay World Championships Gold 1995 Gothenburg 4 × 100 m relay Gold 1997 Athens 4 × 100 m relay Silver 1995 Gothenburg 100 m Silver 1999 Seville 100 m Bronze 1993 Stuttgart 4 × 100 m relay IAAF World Indoor Championships Gold 1993 Toronto 60 m Gold 1995 Barcelona 60 m Commonwealth Games Gold 1994 Victoria 4 × 100 m relay Bronze 1990 Auckland 100 m Goodwill Games Silver 1998 New York 4 × 100 m relay Jeux de la Francophonie Gold 1994 Paris 100 m

Bruny Surin is a famous Canadian former track and field athlete. He was born on July 12, 1967. He is best known for winning a gold medal in the 4 × 100 metres relay at the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Bruny Surin is also known for his speed in the 100 metres race. He has run faster than 10 seconds many times. His fastest time in the 100 metres is 9.84 seconds. In 2008, he was added to Canada's Sports Hall of Fame as part of the amazing 1996 Olympic relay team.

Bruny Surin's Athletics Journey

Bruny Surin was born in Cap-Haïtien, Haïti. His family moved to Québec City, Canada, in 1975. He first competed for Canada at the 1987 Pan-American Games. There, he finished fifteenth in the long jump. He got the same result at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.

After the 1988 Olympics, Bruny Surin started training with Italian coach Franco Barucci. Barucci convinced him to focus on the 100 metres race instead of the long jump. This turned out to be a great decision! Surin soon won the Canadian championships in the 100 metres.

Early Successes and Medals

At the 1990 Commonwealth Games, Bruny Surin won a bronze medal in the 100 metres. He also placed seventh in the long jump. In 1991, he finished eighth in the 100 metres at the 1991 World Championships in Athletics. At the 1992 Summer Olympics, he was fourth in the 100 metres. He also reached the semifinals with the Canadian 4 × 100 metres relay team.

In 1993, at the 1993 World Championships in Athletics, Surin placed fifth in the 100 metres. He also won a bronze medal with the Canadian 4 × 100 metres relay team. The 1994 Commonwealth Games saw him win a gold medal in the 4 × 100 metres relay. He also won gold in the 100 metres at the 1994 Jeux de la Francophonie in Paris.

Olympic Gold and World Championships

At the 1995 World Championships in Athletics, Bruny Surin won a silver medal in the 100 metres. His teammate, Donovan Bailey, won the gold. But together, they won a gold medal in the 4 × 100 metres relay for Canada.

The 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta was a huge moment. The Canadian relay team was not expected to win, even though they had been very strong. However, in the 4 × 100 metres relay final, the Canadian team beat the United States team by a lot. This made them the best relay team in the world! Surin also made it to the semifinal of the 100 metres race at these Olympics.

Surin and the Canadian team won another gold medal at the 1997 World Championships in Athletics. They also won a silver medal at the 1998 Goodwill Games. In 1999, he won a silver medal in the 100 metres at the 1999 World Championships in Athletics. His time of 9.84 seconds matched the Canadian record set by Donovan Bailey.

Later Career and Injuries

At the 2000 Summer Olympics, Bruny Surin was one of the favorites for a medal. However, he had a leg injury from earlier that summer. He had to slow down during his 100 metres semifinal race due to pain. He was eliminated from the competition. His last big race was in 2001 at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics. He got injured again during the 100 metres semifinals and had to leave the track in a wheelchair.

Even after his main career, Surin continued to achieve. In 2009, he set a new Canadian record for the 50 metres race in his age group (40-45). His time was 6.15 seconds. In May 2022, Bruny Surin was chosen to be Team Canada's chef de mission for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. This means he helped lead the Canadian team at the games.

Bruny Surin's Track Records

Here are some of Bruny Surin's best times in the 100 metres at different locations:

Awards and Recognition

In 2016, Bruny Surin was honored as a Knight of the National Order of Quebec. This is a very special award in Quebec, Canada.

Book About Bruny Surin

In 2009, a book about Bruny Surin's life was published. It is called Bruny Surin, le lion tranquille, which means "Bruny Surin, the quiet lion." He wrote it with Saïd Khalil. The book shares stories from his 17 years as a sports star. In the book, Surin talks about how important it is to keep sports fair and clean.

Bruny Surin has two daughters. He also tried to get a seat on the Laval City Council in 2019. He lost by a very small number of votes.

See also

In Spanish: Bruny Surin para niños

• Canadian records in track and field