Lions track assistant coach Milt Ottey to be inducted into the Hall of Fame

Milt Ottey

Athletics Canada announced on Monday that York University Lions track & field assistant coach Milt Ottey is one of five athletes who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.

Also beinFred Footg inducted this year posthumously is Fred Foot, who was an assistant coach at York from the late 1980s until just before his death in 2002.

Fred Foot

The official induction ceremony will take place in conjunction with the Canadian track & field trials in Calgary, June 27 to 30. CBC Sports Weekend’s Scott Russell will serve as host of the event, which will also kick off “Hall of Fame Friday” at Milt Otteythe trials on June 29.

Milt Ottey

A high jumper, Ottey had an accomplished career as a world athlete. In 1979, he won a bronze medal in the high jump at the Pan American Games. He was a gold medallist in the 1982 Commonwealth Games, and placed in the top 10 in the 1984 Olympic Games. Ottey was a gold medallist in the 1986 Commonwealth Games and added another bronze medal in the 1990 Commonwealth Games. Ottey also competed in the 1983 World Championships, 1987 World Indoor Championships and the 1988 Olympic Games.

Foot (1917-2002) was responsible for developing some of the world’s best middle distance runners in the 1950s and 1960s. Renowned athletes such as Bruce Kidd, Bill Crothers, and George Sheppard all trained under Foot. In 1956, Foot was named head coach of the Canadian Track & Field Olympic team and coached at least one athlete on every Olympic Games team between 1948 and 1984.  Foot recruited a bevy of current successful coaches such as Andy Higgins, Carl Georgevski and Molly Killingbeck. He also coached at the East York Track Club for 25 years and at the University of Toronto for 15 years.

Also being inducted into the Hall of Fame athlete category are Charmaine Crooks, Guillaume LeBlanc, Dave Steen and Bruny Surin, while Lyle Sanderson is being inducted as a coach and Bob Adams is being honoured as a builder. Myrtle Cook and Harry Jerome will be inducted posthumously along with Foot.

With files from Athletics Canada