Olympic relay gold medallist Bruny Surin named to Order of Canada

Canadian track legend and four-time Olympian Bruny Surin was among the 135 new appointees to the Order of Canada on Wednesday.

The 54-year-old from Montreal captured Olympic gold with the men's 4x100-metre relay team in Atlanta in 1996 along with Donovan Bailey, Glenroy Gilbert and Robert Esmie. The team set a Canadian record (37.69 seconds) that stood until the 2016 Olympics.

Surin also represented Canada on the Olympic stage in 1988, 1992 and 2000. He is a two-time world champion in the 4x100m relay, and his personal best time of 9.84 in the 100 metres is tied for the Canadian record with Bailey, who won gold in the 100m in Atlanta.

Along with his excellence in track and field, the honour also recognizes the work Surin has done to support student athletes and promote healthy lifestyles over the years.

WATCH l Canadian men's 4x100m relay team sprints into record books at '96 Olympics:

The final night of competition at the 1996 Olympics saw the Canadian relay team make history

3 years ago

Duration 1:46

In a moment most Canadian sports fans will never forget, the men’s 4x100m relay team sprinted into the record books. Donovan Bailey, Bruny Surin, Glenroy Gilbert and Robert Esmie surprised the world and won gold at the 1996 Olympic Games.

He founded the Bruny Surin Foundation in 2002 to help promote the importance of active lifestyles to young people and combat school dropout through awareness campaigns. The foundation awards more than $20,000 to student athletes every year.

Surin was born in Cap-Haitien‎, ‎Haiti before moving to Montreal with his family at age seven. He was voted to Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.

The Order of Canada is considered one of Canada's highest civilian honours, as it recognizes citizens who have made "extraordinary contributions to the nation," according to the Governor General of Canada website.

The Honourable Justice Hugh L. Fraser, a sprinter who represented Canada at the 1976 Olympics, was also among the 135 appointees. He is recognized for his significant contributions to Canadian sport as an expert in sports law and former Olympian.

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