Some of the first noted sprinters of Jamaican origin were Alfred R. Downer and G. C. Foster. Downer was Scottish national champion in the 100, 220, and 440 yards events for three consecutive years from 1893, but later lost his amateur status, preventing him from participating further. Foster attempted to enter the 1908 Summer Olympics, but was prevented from doing so as Jamaica was not yet affiliated to the International Olympic Committee. He later became a noted athletics coach.[1]
Norman Manley, who would later go on to become premier of Jamaica, was an outstanding athlete at Jamaica College, winning six medals in the Jamaican schoolboy championships in 1911, including the 100 yards in 10 seconds, an island schoolboy record not broken until 1952. That time would have put young Manley into the final of that event in both the 1908 and 1912 Olympics.[2]
1930s[edit]
In 1930, Jamaica entered its first-ever athletics team into an international competition. It was the 1930 Central American and Caribbean Games. Joseph Mackenzie, former student at St. George’s College, won a silver medal in the high jump with a jump of 1.75 m becoming Jamaica’s first ever international medal winner.[citation needed]
In 1934, Jamaica entered their first ever team into the British Empire Games (now known as the Commonwealth Games) the team won a silver in swimming and Bernard Leopold Prendergast won a bronze in the discus throw with a 40.23m throw.[citation needed]
1940s[edit]
The first part of the forties was interrupted by the Second World War. 3 years after the war in 1948, led by an African American Joseph J. Yancey Jamaica made their first ever Olympic appearance at the London Olympics and surprised the world by winning 1 gold and two silvers. These medals were won by Arthur Wint and Herbert Mckenley and started a great sprinting tradition. These two men are regarded as the pioneers of Jamaican athletics. In the 400 m final McKenley ran out of steam in the last 100 m and Wint passed him to become Jamaica’s first Olympic Gold Medallist. Wint narrowly missed out on a Gold in the 800 m but still went home a hero.[3]
1950s[edit]
In the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, Jamaican heroes Arthur Wint and Herb Mckenley were back along with George Rhoden and Leslie Laing. Together these four made up the gold medal winning 4×400 m relay team becoming the only team other than the Americans to hold a 4×400 m world record by running 3:03.9 in the final. George Rhoden led a Jamaican one-two with Herb Mckenley in the (individual) 400 m and Mckenley won his second silver in the closest 100 m in Olympic history. Wint won another silver in the 800 m. Jamaica finished a remarkable 13th in the medal table ahead of the likes of Japan, Great Britain and Canada.[4]
At the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, Jamaica won one gold courtesy of Keith Gardner in the 120-yard hurdles. Jamaica sent one sole competitor to the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne. It was Keith Gardner but he failed to get through the first round leaving Jamaica with no medals.[citation needed]
At the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, Jamaica won a record haul of 4 golds, 2 silvers and 1 bronze. Paul Foreman led a Jamaican one-two with Deryck Taylor in the long jump, Ernest Haisley won gold in high jump and Keith Gardner retained his 120yards hurdle title by setting a new commonwealth record of 14.0 seconds and won another gold in the 100yards.[citation needed]
1960s[edit]
For the 1960 Olympics, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados entered a joint team known as the British West Indies Federation (BWI). The team won two bronzes from George Kerr in the 800 m and the men’s 4 x 400 m relay team of Kerr, James Wedderburn, Keith Gardner and Malcolm Spence.[5]
At the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Jamaica won two athletics golds. One in the men’s 440 yards from George Kerr and one from the men’s 4 × 440 yards relay of Kerr, Laurie Khan, Malcolm Spence and Mel Spence. Kerr then followed up with silver in the 880 yards.[citation needed]
1964: Jamaican did not win a medal but Jamaican came fourth in the women’s 200 meter-young 16 years old Una L. Morris; George Kerr-800 meters; and the men’s 4×100 meters. This is the first time that a Jamaican female so young that was placed in a final. This was the beginning of the Jamaican women’s recognition internationally.[