Sports Commentary - JAMAICA OLYMPIC GAMES TRACK AND FIELD FINALISTS; FROM ‘BOYS CHAMPIONSHIPS’ TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES 1948 – 2016

REVIEW: HIGH SCHOOL AFFILIATION

By Dale Brown

NEW YORK, NY. Tuesday, August 4, 2020 -- There is no doubt that the genesis of Jamaica’s phenomenal success in International Track and Field can be traced to the staging of the world-renowned Boys and Girls Championships.

‘Boys Champs’ has been staged since 1910 with the 1944 edition being cancelled when the Headmaster’s Association for reasons unknown, called off the event.                                                                                                                                  Then the Interscholastic Sports Association (ISSA) was formed in 1946 and took over the staging of the Championship.

Few countries in the history of Track and Field have invested as much in the development of their youth. The athletes gain invaluable exposure by competing in a championship setting from an early age. They learn to manage the rounds and compete in a highly charged and intensely competitive atmosphere in front of a massive crowd.  Therefore, it is not surprising that so many world class athletes emerged from these championships as almost all of the champion athletes who represented Jamaica in international competitions, have been  competitors at “Champs.” 

This article will identify the High Schools which have been responsible for nurturing the athletes who developed into champions and were finalists in their individual events at the Olympic Games.                                                                               

Field events finalists will be restricted to the top 8 competitors.

100m

William Knibb - Usain Bolt – Gold medals in 2008, 2012 and 2016.                         

Michael Green -7th in 1996.                                                                                                                            

Camperdown - Donald Quarrie - Silver in 1976.                                                                  

Raymond Stewart - 6^th in 1984, and 7^th in 1988 and 1992.

Kingston College - Lennox Miller -Silver in 1968 and bronze in 1972.

St. Jago - Yohan Blake - Silver in 2012 and 4^th in 2016.

Calabar – Herb McKenley - Silver in 1952.

Charlemont – Asafa Powell- 5^th in 2004 and 2008, 7^th in 2012.

St Andrew Technical – Michael Fray - 5^th in 1972..

Wolmer’s – Michael Frater - 5^th in 2008 (Frater completed HS at Boyd Anderson HS in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida USA).

200m

William Knibb – Usain Bolt – Gold medals in 2008, 2012 and 2016.

Camperdown – Donald Quarrie – Gold in 1976 and bronze in 1980.

St. Jago - Yohan Blake – Silver in 2012.

Calabar – Warren Weir – Bronze in 2012.                                                                          

Herb McKenley 4^th in 1948.

Dinthill Technical Training Centre** – Les Laing - 5^th in 1952 and 6^th in 1948      (The school was not permitted to compete at Champs)

St. Andrew Technical – Michael Fray - 7^th in 1968.

Vere Technical – Colin Bradford -7^th in 1976.

Charlemont – Asafa Powell – Did not start – 2004.

400m

Calabar – Arthur Wint - Gold in 1948 and 5^th in 1952.

(NB- Wint spent his final year of eligibility at XLCR).

Herb McKenley – Silver medals in 1948 and 1952.

The Technical School**(Kingston Technical) – George Rhoden – Gold in 1952.              

(The school was not permitted to compete at Champs)

Excelsior - Greg Haughton – Bronze in 2000 --**Wint represented XLCR during his final year at Champs

Ardenne – Brandon Simpson – 5^th in 2004 (Simpson also attended Munro).

Kingston College – Davian Clarke – 6^th in 2004 and 7^th in 1996.

 

St. Jago – Bert Cameron – 6^th in 1988 and did not start in 1984.

York Castle – Roxbert Martin -6^th in 1996.

Ocho Rios – Danny McFarlane -7^th in 2000.

Vere Technical – Michael Blackwood 8^th in 2004.

800m

Calabar – Arthur Wint - Silver medals in 1948 and 1952 (attended XLCR -final year)

Knockalva – George Kerr – 4^th in 1964 (The school was not permitted to compete at Champs)

Please note – George Kerr represented British West Indies in the 1960 Olympics and won the a bronze medal in the 800m.

110 Hurdles

Manchester – Omar McLeod – (Kingston College) * Gold in 2016--       

*McLeod represented (KC) during his final year of eligibility

Morant Bay – Hansle Parchment – (Kingston College) * - Bronze in 2012                   *Parchment represented (KC) in the Heptathlon during his final year of eligibility.

Calabar – Maurice Wignall – 4^th in 2004 and 6^th in 2008.

Ardenne – Richard Phillips – 7^th in 2008.

400m Hurdles

Ocho Rios – Danny McFarlane – Silver in 2004 and 4^th in 2008.

St. Elizabeth Technical – Winthrop Graham – Silver in 1992 and 5^th in 1988.

Clan Carthy – Annsert Whyte – 5^th in 2016.

St. Georges – Markino Buckley – 7^th in 2008.

Kingston College – Leford Greene – 7^th in 2012.

Long Jump

*William R. Boone HS, Orlando, Florida - James Beckford – Silver in 1996 and 4^th in 2004.

Shot Put

St Georges – O’Dayne Richards – 8^th in 2016.

Decathlon

Calabar - Maurice Smith – 8^th in 2008.

Summary

Twenty-one Jamaican Schools and two High Schools in the United States are credited for producing these athletes.

Seven of the schools listed won Champs however, it must be noted that one of the seven, St. Georges, have not won since 1925, and Jamaica did not participate in the Olympics until 1948.

Thirty-four athletes reached the finals of their individual events.

SONS OF RABALAC. Calabar’s championship winning, super supreme sprint relay quartet of (l-r); DEJOUR RUSSELL, TYREKE WILSON, CHRISTOPHER TAYLOR and MICHAEL STEPHENS that stopped the clock at 39.43 at ‘champs’ 2017.

-       Contributed

Calabar heads the list with five (5) athletes.                                                                     

Kingston College are next with three (3) athletes but they can also be credited with five finalists because two athletes, Parchment and McLeod, spent their final year of eligibility competing for Kingston College.                                                   

(However, their talents were definitely nurtured at Morant Bay and Manchester respectively).

Two athletes for each of the following schools are listed, Camperdown, William Knibb, St Jago, St Georges, Vere Technical and Ardenne.                                                                                                                         

The other 13 schools are each represented by one athlete.

Three athletes, Les Laing, George Rhoden, and George Kerr did not get the chance to parade their talents at Champs because the schools they attended were not classified as High Schools at the time.                                                                                                 

The schools are Dinthill Technical Training Centre, The Technical School now known as Kingston Technical and Knockalva Agricultural School.                        

There is no indication that Roxbert Martin ever competed at Champs and a fifth athlete, James Beckford, attended William R. Boone High School in the USA. 

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Editor’s note. Dale Brown is a sports historian and host of SECOND BASE, the total sports show airing Tuesdays, 7 – 8 pm, on the Wee Radio Network at, www.weeradioonline.com.