Mark McKoy

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Medal record
Men’s Athletics
Competitor for Flag of Canada Canada
Olympic Games
Gold 1992 Barcelona 110 m hurdles

Marcus ("Mark") McKoy (born December 10, 1961) is a former Canadian athlete, winner of 110 metres hurdles at the 1992 Summer Olympics.

Although born in Georgetown, Guyana, Mark McKoy spent his youth in England, before moving to Canada as a teenager. He attended Clemson University in 1980, but dropped out.

McKoy came to the international athletics scene in 1982 by winning a gold medal in 110 m hurdles and silver in 4 x 100 m relay at the Commonwealth Games. In the next year McKoy finished fourth at the first World Championships and repeated this place at the 1984 Summer Olympics.

In 1986, McKoy repeated his victory in 110 m hurdles at Commonwealth Games and turned his 4x100 m relay silver to gold medal, but finished seventh at the 1987 World Championships.

At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, McKoy finished seventh, after badly crashing into a number of hurdles. Following the stripping of teammate Ben Johnson's 100 m gold medal due to a positive drug test, McKoy made a premature departure from Seoul prior to the 4x100 m relay, in which he was to compete. McKoy subsequently admitted to using drugs at the Dubin Enquiry, and was given a two-year suspension.

McKoy made a come-back at the 1991 World Championships, finishing fourth again in 110 m hurdles. At the Olympic Games in Barcelona, McKoy seemed to be finally on the verge of ending his string of fourth-place finishes at major international championships. In the final, McKoy had an early lead, and despite slamming into the last hurdle, McKoy still won the gold medal in 13.12 seconds. At the 1993 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Toronto he won the 60 m hurdles.

A training mate of Colin Jackson, he appeared with Jackson and Linford Christie in the workout video The S Plan: Get Fit with Christie and Jackson in 1993.

During his two-year suspension McKoy moved to Austria and after becoming an Austrian citizen in 1994, he finished his athletics career competing for his newly-adopted country. He holds the Austrian record in 110 m hurdles with 13.14 seconds. [1]

He has since returned to Toronto, where he now works as an athletic trainer and therapist.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  • Mark McKoy at Sporting Heroes
  • Newall, Liz. "You're in great company." Clemson World. Summer 2007. pp. 10-12.