AP
26 May 2001 – Toronto - When Donovan Bailey looks back on his career, his two gold medals at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics won't be his most cherished memory.
Rather, it will be the mere act of walking again.
The 33-year-old Canadian, a former world-record holder and Olympic 100-meter champion, said Friday he will retire following the 2001 outdoor season.
The announcement comes nearly three years after a career-threatening Achilles' tendon injury that required surgery.
“That will be the No. 1 thing that stands out because I wasn't even able to walk,'' Bailey told The Canadian Press from Frankfurt, Germany, on Friday. ``But having great people around me got me back to the point that I was the No. 1-ranked Canadian last year and one of the fastest men in the world, although I had an erratic season.''
Bailey will compete in meets in Germany and the Czech Republic in the next two weeks.
“My goals are to probably just give back, just be close to the people who were cheering me on when I started, especially here in Germany,'' Bailey said. ``I started here in 1994 and some of these same people are still here with photos of when I started.
“It's kind of relaxing to respond and respect them the way they've responded and respected me.''
But Bailey was emphatic that his final race be in Canada, either at the Canadian track and field championships June 22-24 or the World Championships on Aug. 3-12. Both events will be in Edmonton, Alberta.
“I haven't decided yet,'' Bailey said. “If I'm running well, it will certainly be (at the Worlds) in Edmonton, but I'm nursing a slight bone spur right now on my right heel.
“I'm definitely going to the Canadian championships, so I don't know if it will be there or the worlds.''
Bailey was at his peak at the Atlanta Olympics. He not only set a record of 9.84 seconds in winning the 100 but earned another gold medal a week later when he ran the anchor leg in the 4x100 metres relay.
