A Kenora, Ontario, native and three-time Canadian Olympic team member, Michael Smith had a long and illustrious career in the decathlon before joining CBC Sports as an athletics analyst in 1999.

In 1991, he became the first North American to win the prestigious Gotzis International Decathlon championship in Austria. Also in 1991, Michael won a silver medal in the decathlon at the World Track and Field Championships in Tokyo.

A tremendous honour for Smith was his selection to be the Canadian flag bearer at the Opening Ceremonies of the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona. In 1993, Smith won a silver medal in the heptathlon (seven disciplines) at the World Indoor Championships held in Toronto.

In 1994, he won the decathlon at the Commonwealth Games for the second consecutive time. He also won the gold medal at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland. Smith captured the bronze medal at the 1995 World Athletics Championships in Sweden. It was a step toward reaching the top again after setbacks due to injuries following the 1992 Olympics and the 1993 World Championships.

In the spring of 1996, Smith broke his own Canadian decathlon record with his win of another gold medal at the Gotzis International Decathlon. In 1998, Smith competed in a record 12th Gotzis International Decathlon.

Smith, who now resides in Calgary, spends any spare time working with his sponsors, appearing at various functions and speaking to companies and organizations. He is also spending time at a national brokerage firm preparing for a potential career in the financial services industry.