Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
At the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Don Quarrie narrowly missed gold in the men’s 100 metres, finishing second to Hasely Crawford by just 0.01 seconds. Their recorded times were 10.07 and 10.06 respectively. Quarrie, running in lane four, caught up to leader Valeriy Borzov along the home straight and believed victory was possible until he noticed Crawford’s lead from lane one. Crawford had been notably energetic before the race despite a restless night, singing loudly and changing his kit multiple times. Quarrie described Crawford as "crazy" during their pre-race interaction.
Quarrie had faced setbacks in previous Olympics, having been injured and missing the 1968 and 1972 Games. However, he reached peak form in the 200m final two days later. Starting in lane two, Quarrie pulled away around the curve and maintained his lead against rivals Pietro Mennea and Millard Hampton. He crossed the finish line in 20.23 seconds, holding off a late challenge from Hampton and securing the gold medal.
Reflecting on his victory, Quarrie expressed satisfaction in winning for Jamaica, especially after the expectations and disappointments of previous Games. He recalled thinking about the joy his success would bring his country at the moment he finished the race.