1997

1997

Canada’s Donovan Bailey, the 1996 Olympic 100-metre champion and gold medallist in the 4×100-metre relay, ran the second fastest 100-metre time in the world so far in the season, winning the Jerome meet 100 metres in 9.99 seconds. The event was meant to be a final tune-up for Bailey’s celebrated match race in Toronto against American sprint ace Michael Johnson – at that event Johnson pulled up lame midway through the indoor, 150-metre contest.

Meantime, Coquitlam runner Leah Pells was a favourite of the 6,000 spectators who attended the Jerome meet at Swangard Stadium. At the 1996 Olympics Pells finished fourth in career-best time in what proved one of the most emotional Canadian Olympic team moments of those Games. At the 1997 Jerome meet Pells burst out of the pack in the third lap and ran away with the women’s 1,500 metres, winning in 4:11.17.