Tony Sharpe

Last updated

Tony Sharpe
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Olympic Games
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1984 Los Angeles 4×100 m relay
Commonwealth Games
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1982 Brisbane 4×100 m relay
Universiade
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1983 Edmonton 4 x 100 m relay
Pacific Conference Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1981 Christchurch 4x100 m relay
Pan American Junior Championships
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1980 Sudbury 100 metres
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1980 Sudbury 4x100 m relay

Anthony Sharpe (born 28 June 1961) is a Jamaican-born Canadian former sprinter who won an Olympic bronze medal in the 4 x 100 metres relay and was a finalist in the 100 metres in Los Angeles 1984. In 1982, he set a Canadian record in the 200 metres with a time of 20.22 and ran his personal best 100 metres time in 10.19 seconds. He also won a silver medal in the 4 x 100 metres relay at the 1982 Commonwealth Games. He competed at the first World Championships in 1983.

Contents

Coaching career

Sharpe was awarded the Gerry Swan Development Coach of the Year Award for 2014 by Athletics Canada.

He is the head coach of the Speed Academy Athletics Club based in Pickering, Ontario, which he founded in 2006 after leaving a career in corporate sales. The Speed Academy Athletics Club has produced numerous national team members, with eleven of its athletes representing Canada at international competitions in 2015. Sharpe has also developed more than thirty scholarship athletes, including his own twin daughters.

Amongst the athletes Sharpe has coached and mentored is Olympic Gold medalist Andre De Grasse.

Sharpe was selected to the Canadian coaching delegation as the sprints and relay coach for the 2013 Canadian National World Youth Championships team, the 2014 Canadian National World Junior Championships team, and the 2015 Canadian National World Youth Championships team.

Personal life

Sharpe is married to former sprinter Colene Taffe, they have three children, Mitchell Sharpe, Taylor Sharpe & Sommer Sharpe.

Dop

Sharpe trained with the Scarborough Optimist Track Club. Club coach Charlie Francis, working with Dr. George Astaphan, supplied performance-enhancing drugs to Ben Johnson, Desai Williams, Tony Sharpe, Angella Taylor-Issajenko, Mark McKoy and others. After Sharpe testified at the 1989 Dubin inquiry, and admitted to steroid use, he was subsequently suspended from eligibility for federal funding. [1]

During the inquiry, Sharpe admitted to using steroids since he was a student on the Clemson Tigers track and field team. His ban from federal funding was lifted in 2012, allowed him to coach at the national team and Olympic levels. [1]

Upon reinstatement, Mediator Larry Banack wrote this of Sharpe: "The Applicant demonstrated sincerity, contrition, remorse and a passion for the sport of track and field and the promotion of drug-free sport... I am satisfied that the intention and spirit of the Recommendations of the Dubin Inquiry that contemplated possible future reinstatement have been satisfied by the Applicant... I am convinced that the submissions of the Applicant are genuine. It would be inappropriate to prevent such a talented and passionate individual from moving forward to pursue a career which will benefit the sports community as a whole." [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Johnson (Canadian sprinter)</span> Canadian sprinter (born 1961)

Benjamin Sinclair Johnson, is a Canadian former sprinter. During the 1987–88 season he held the title of the world's fastest man, breaking both the 100m and the 60m indoor World Records. He won the 100 metres at the 1987 World Championships in Athletics; and at the 1988 Summer Olympics, but was disqualified for doping and stripped of the gold medals.

Anthony Alexander Jarrett is a male former sprint and hurdling athlete from England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marlon Devonish</span> English sprinter (born 1976)

Marlon Ronald Devonish, is an English former sprinter who competed in the 100 metres and 200 metres. A prodigious relay runner with particular strength as a 'bend' runner, Devonish ran the third leg for the Great Britain quartet which won the 4 x 100 metres at the 2004 Olympic Games, and won four World Championship medals in the same event in 1999, 2005, 2007 and 2009.

Glenroy John Gilbert is a Canadian former track and field athlete, winner of the gold medal in 4×100 metres relay at the 1996 Summer Olympics, and head coach of Athletics Canada.

Mark Anthony McKoy is a Canadian retired track and field athlete. He won the gold medal in the 110 metres hurdles at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He also won the 60 metres hurdles title at the 1993 IAAF World Indoor Championships, and the 110 metres hurdles titles at the Commonwealth Games in 1982 and 1986. He is the World record holder for the 50 metres hurdles with 6.25 secs (1986), and the Canadian record holder in the 60 metres hurdles with 7.41 secs (1993), and the 110 metres hurdles with 13.08 secs (1993).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernard Williams (sprinter)</span> American track and field athlete, sprinter, Olympic gold medalist

Bernard Rollen Williams III is an American male former track and field sprinter and winner of a gold medal in 4 × 100-meter relay at the 2000 Summer Olympics. He was the 200-meter dash silver medalist at the 2004 Summer Olympics and the 100-meter dash silver medalist at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics. He also won relay gold at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics and was the 100 m gold medalist at the 1999 Pan American Games.

Charles Merrick Francis was a Canadian Olympic sprinter and sprint coach most noteworthy for being the trainer of sprinter Ben Johnson, the first competitor to be stripped of an Olympic gold medal for using banned drugs, and sprinters Angella Issajenko, Mark McKoy, and Desai Williams. Francis was banned by Athletics Canada following his admissions at the 1989 Dubin inquiry that he had introduced Johnson to steroids.

Angella Taylor-Issajenko, CM is a Canadian coach and former sprinter. She won an Olympic silver medal in the 4 × 100 metres relay in Los Angeles 1984. At the Commonwealth Games she won seven medals, including the 100 metres title in Brisbane 1982 and the 200 metres in Edinburgh 1986.

Angela Bailey was a Canadian track and field athlete. She was the Canadian record holder in the 100 metres with her personal best of 10.98 seconds in 1987. She also holds the 200 metres indoor national record with 23.32 seconds in 1984. She won an Olympic silver medal in the 4×100 metres relay in 1984, three relay silver medals at the Commonwealth Games, and a bronze medal in the 60 metres at the 1987 World Indoor Championships.

Empson Othman Desai Williams was a Canadian sprinter, who won an Olympic bronze medal in 4 x 100 metres relay in Los Angeles 1984. He was born in Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis.

Trevor Graham is a Jamaican-born American former sprinter and athletics coach. Following the BALCO scandal, the US Olympic Committee barred him indefinitely from all its training sites.

Molly Killingbeck is a Canadian athlete who competed in two consecutive Summer Olympics for Canada, starting in 1984.

Michael Anthony McFarlane OBE was a British athlete who competed mainly in the 100 metres and 200 metres. He won an Olympic silver medal in the 4 × 100 metres relay at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and was the 200 m gold medallist at the 1982 Commonwealth Games and a 60 metres gold medallist at the 1985 European Athletics Indoor Championships. McFarlane won two further sprint medals at the 1986 Commonwealth Games.

50 metres, or 50-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field. It is a relatively uncommon non-championship event for indoor track and field, normally dominated by the best outdoor 100 metres runners. At outdoor athletics competitions it is used in the Special Olympics and a rare distance, at least for senior athletes. It is an alternative to the 60 metres running event. The imperial distance for 50 metres is 54.68 yards.

Patrick "Pat" Jarrett is a Jamaican sprinter who specialised in the 100 metres. He represented Jamaica at the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics. He was also the 1999 Jamaican 100 m champion and a quarter-finalist at the 1999 World Championships in Athletics.

Zbigniew "Bishop" Dolegiewicz was a Canadian professional track and field athlete and coach who specialized in the shot put and the discus throw.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Jenkins (sprinter)</span> Scottish athlete (born 1952)

David Andrew Jenkins is a former World ranked no.1 400m track and field sprinter who also ran other sprint distances. He is, statistically, the highest ranking Scottish sprinter in history, above 1980 Olympic 100m champion Allan Wells. He was part of the UK relay team which won a silver medal at the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics. Anabolic steroids were banned from athletics in 1976, and Jenkins has said that he began using steroids around then; although his times slowed from this point due in part to his increased propensity for injury. He was a finalist in the 1976 and 1980 Olympics 400m. He received a 7-year prison sentence in the 1980s for drug smuggling, but was able to serve a reduced period of 10-1/2 months by becoming an informant. Jenkins has subsequently had a business career in the United States. He is the brother of Roger Jenkins, also formerly an international athlete, who became one of the UK's highest paid bankers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Kilty</span> British sprinter (born 1989)

Richard Kilty is a British sprinter who competes both Indoor and Outdoor across all the sprint events including 60 metres, 100 metres, 150 metres, and 200 metres. An exceptional starter, and considered a specialist in both 60 metres and relays, he is a former World and double European Champion indoors at 60 metres, and also a silver medalist in the World Athletics Championships, as well as a European and Commonwealth champion in the 4 x 100 metre relay for Great Britain and England respectively. Kilty is one of the few British athletes to have won medals at every major championships, indoors and out, including the World Relays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andre De Grasse</span> Canadian sprinter (born 1994)

Andre De Grasse is a Canadian sprinter. A seven-time Olympic medallist, De Grasse is the 2020 Olympic champion in the 200 m, and also won the silver in the 200 m in 2016. He won a second silver in the 4×100 relay in 2020. He also has three Olympic bronze medals, placing third in the 100 m at both the 2016 and 2020 Games, and also in the 4×100 m relay in 2016. De Grasse won his second Olympic gold medal as a part of the 4×100 m relay team at the 2024 Summer Olympics. The win tied him with swimmer Penny Oleksiak as Canada's most decorated Olympians of all time.

John Timothy "Tim" Bethune is a retired Canadian sprinter. At the 1982 Commonwealth Games, he placed 7th in the 400m and 4th as a member of Canada's 4 × 400 metres relay. He was a member of Canada's 4 × 400 metres relay at the 1984 Summer Olympics, which placed 8th.

References

  1. 1 2 Tony Sharpe at Olympedia ( archive ) OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  2. Hall, Joseph (8 October 2012). "Admitted former steroid user and Ben Johnson teammate Tony Sharpe reinstated for federal sports funding". Toronto Star. Retrieved 29 December 2024.