Background
QUARRIE, Donald was born on February 25, 1951 in Kingston.
QUARRIE, Donald was born on February 25, 1951 in Kingston.
University of Southern California.
At the 1976 Summer Olympics he was the gold medallist in the Olympic 200 meters and silver medallist in the Olympic 100 meters. He equalled the 200 meters world record in 1971 and equalled the 100 metres world record in 1976. He has lifetime bests of 10.07 seconds and 19.86 seconds for the events.
He has received recognition both on and off the field
There is also a school (Donald Quarrie High School) that bears his name in Eastern Kingston. Born 25 February 1951 in Kingston, Jamaica, Quarrie made the Jamaican 100 m team for the 1968 Summer Olympics as a 17-year-old, but he injured himself in training, and couldn"t take part.
He moved to the United States and attended the University of Southern California, graduating with a degree in Business and Public Administration. There, his sprinting capabilities gradually increased.
Anchoring the Jamaican 4 × 100 m relay team, he pocketed a third Commonwealth title.
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. One of the favourites for the upcoming Munich Olympics, Quarrie again suffered from injuries at the Olympic Games. He did compete in the 200 m, but had to abandon his 200 m semi-final after pulling a muscle.
The next season, he again tied the 200 m world record, 19.8.
He also tied the 100 m record with a hand-timed mark (99) in 1976 at the California Relays at Modesto Junior College, one of only a few athletes to have held these records simultaneously. This time was actually 10.07 seconds.
In 1976 after winning the American Automobile Association"s 100/200 titles, Quarrie could finally compete at the Olympics without injuries. He first made the 100 m final, which he led until overtaken by Trinidadian Hasely Crawford.
In the 200 m, Quarrie led the pack coming out of the turn, and held off all challenges to take the title in 20.22.
Quarrie"s fourth Olympics, in Moscow saw him being eliminated in the 100 m semi-finals. His title defense also failed in the 200m, but he did make the final, and finished third, adding a bronze medal to his collection. By 1984, Quarrie was no longer among the world"s best in the individual sprint events, and it was therefore no surprise he was eliminated in the heats of the 200 m event at the Los Angeles Olympics.