Donald O'Riley Quarrie CD was born on 25 February 1951 and is a Jamaican former track and field athlete, one of the world's top sprinters during the 1970s.
16 Facts About Don Quarrie
2.
Don Quarrie nearly equalled the 200 meters world record in 1971, coming within.
3.
Don Quarrie has a personal best of 19.86 seconds set in Cali, Colombia on 03 August 1971.
4.
Don Quarrie won nine gold medals in the sprints at the Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics from 1971 to 1981.
5.
Don Quarrie has received recognition both on and off the field.
6.
Don Quarrie was a five-time winner at the Jamaican Sportsperson of the Year and a statue of him is positioned at the entrance to Jamaica's National Stadium.
7.
Don Quarrie moved to the United States and attended the University of Nebraska and later the University of Southern California, where he graduated with a degree in Business and Public Administration.
8.
At the 1970 Commonwealth Games, Don Quarrie won the gold medal in both the 100 and 200 m, surprising his more experienced competitors.
9.
Don Quarrie repeated his sprint double the following year at the Pan American Games in Cali and his time in the 200 meters was a hand-timed 19.8.
10.
One of the favourites for the upcoming Munich Olympics, Don Quarrie again suffered from injuries at the Olympic Games.
11.
Don Quarrie did compete in the 200 m but had to abandon his 200 m semi-final after pulling a muscle.
12.
In 1974 Don Quarrie repeated his 1970 performance by grabbing the 100 and 200 m titles at the Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, becoming the first athlete to retain the title in either event.
13.
Don Quarrie tied the 100 m record with a hand-timed mark in 1976 at the California Relays at Modesto Junior College, one of only a few athletes to have held these records simultaneously.
14.
Don Quarrie first made the 100 m final, which he led until overtaken by Trinidadian Hasely Crawford.
15.
Don Quarrie recovered in time to compete but was eliminated in the 100 m semi-finals.
16.
Don Quarrie's final competitive race was a 200m in London in September 1984, in which he finished 3rd.