Angella Taylor-Issajenko

Angella Taylor-Issajenko, CM (née Taylor; born September 28, 1958 in Jamaica) is a former Canadian sprinter.

Angella's break out performance came at the 1979 Pan Am Games were she took a bronze in the 100 meters and a silver in the 200 meters, and set national records of 11.20 and 22.80 respectively. Despite Canada's boycott of the 1980 Olympic games in Moscow, she dominated post Olympic competition in the summer 1980, winning several meets, and finishing 2nd in the 100 meters to Marlies Gohr, and 3rd in the 200 meters behind Barbel Wockel at the final stop in Zurich. She lowered her national records to 11.12 for the 100 meters and 22.55 for the 200 meters by the end of the 1981 season.

She was the 1982 Commonwealth 100 meter champion in 11.00 a Commonwealth record and games record, and anchored Canada to Gold in the 4 x 400 meter relay. She also took a bronze in the 200 meters, and won a silver as part of the 4 x 100 meter relay. Once again she improved upon the Canadian records for 100 meters 11.00 and 200 meters 22.25. She injured her siatic nerve in the off season training in for the 1983 season, which troubled her for the rest of her career.

Angella won a silver medal as part of the Canadian 4 x 100 meter relay team in 1984.

In 1985, she was made a Member of the Order of Canada.

Angella was again Commonwealth Champion in 1986, this time in the 200 meters, she also won a bronze in the 100 meters and a silver as a member of the 4 x 100 meter relay.

Angella was ranked inside the world top ten, 6 times in the 100 meters, 3 times in the top 5; and 3 times at 200 meters.

She broke the world 50 meter record indoors with 6.06 clocking in 1986. Won a silver medal in 1987 World Indoor Championships in a tight finish with Nelli Cooman, both women were time in 7.08, but after a photo finish the judges gave the Championship to Cooman, who looked to have crossed the line with her shoulder first.

In the summer of 1987 Angella again broke the national record for 100 meters with 10.97 clocking, and finished 5th at World Championships.

Taylor-Issajenko was a part of the doping regime of George Astaphan, the physician who supplied Ben Johnson with stanazolol. After Issajenko's training partner Johnson tested positive for stanozolol in 1988, she testified in the Dubin Inquiry and gave a detailed account of widespread substance abuse in athletics.

Today Issajenko is a single mother of four including three teenagers: Natasha, Dmitry, and Sophie, who are aspiring Olympians. She works full-time with learning-disabled grade school students and has returned to track and field as a coach based out of the city of Toronto's track and field center on the York University campus.

Read more about Angella Taylor-Issajenko:  Achievements