1957 British West Indies Championships

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The 1957 British West Indies Championships was the first edition of the track and field competition between British colony nations in the Caribbean. Held in Kingston, Jamaica, it was supported by retired Olympic sprint medallist Herb McKenley. [1] A total of eighteen events were contested, all of them by men – women's events were not added until two years later. [2]

Two athletes completed individual doubles: Jamaica's Ernle Haisley won the high jump and pole vault, while George de Peana of British Guiana had a long-distance running double. Also among the medallists was Lester Bird of Antigua who would later go on to be the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda (succeeding his father, Vere Bird). [3]

Medal summary

EventGoldSilverBronze
100 metresFlag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Hendrickson Harewood  (TRI)10.4Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Joe Goddard  (TRI)10.6Flag of the Bahamas.svg  Tom Robinson  (BAH)10.6
200 metresFlag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Clifton Bertrand  (TRI)21.2Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Joe Goddard  (TRI)21.3Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Hendrickson Harewood  (TRI)21.3
400 metresFlag of Jamaica.svg  Mal Spence  (JAM)47.3Flag of Jamaica.svg  Mel Spence  (JAM)47.6Flag of Jamaica.svg  George Kerr  (JAM)47.7
800 metresFlag of Jamaica.svg  George Kerr  (JAM)1:50.5Flag of Jamaica.svg  Mel Spence  (JAM)1:51.1Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Knolly Barnes  (TRI)1:51.2
1500 metresFlag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  McDonald Philbert  (TRI)4:05.5Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Hugh Hyland  (TRI)4:06.7Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Ken Hyland  (TRI)4:06.9
5000 metresFlag of British Guiana (1955-1966).svg  George de Peana  (BGU)15:42.0Flag of Jamaica.svg  Levi Modeste  (JAM)15:49.6Flag of Jamaica.svg  Mervyn Wanliss  (JAM)15:52.8
10,000 metresFlag of British Guiana (1955-1966).svg  George de Peana  (BGU)31:19.5Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Joseph Roberts  (TRI)31:34.2Flag of Jamaica.svg  Mervyn Wanliss  (JAM)32:35.0
110 m hurdlesFlag of Jamaica.svg  Louis Knight  (JAM)14.6Flag of Jamaica.svg  Keith Gardner  (JAM)14.7Flag of Jamaica.svg  Bill Phillips  (JAM)14.9
400 m hurdlesFlag of Jamaica.svg  Leroy Keane  (JAM)55.3Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Charles Boney  (TRI)55.6Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Horace Hart  (TRI)
Flag of Jamaica.svg  Bill Phillips  (JAM)
57.8
4×100 m relayFlag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica  (JAM)41.9Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Trinidad and Tobago  (TTO)42.2Flag of the Bahamas.svg  Bahamas  (BAH)44.2
4×400 m relayFlag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica  (JAM)3:14.0Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Trinidad and Tobago  (TTO)3:17.0Flag of the Bahamas.svg  Bahamas  (BAH)3:35.2
High jumpFlag of Jamaica.svg  Ernle Haisley  (JAM)2.04 mFlag of British Honduras (1919-1981).svg  Roy Burgess  (BHO)1.93 mFlag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Learie Scipio  (TRI)1.88 m
Pole vaultFlag of Jamaica.svg  Ernle Haisley  (JAM)3.35 mFlag of Jamaica.svg  Bill Phillips  (JAM)3.27 mFlag of British Honduras (1919-1981).svg  Roy Burgess  (BHO)3.12 m
Long jumpFlag of Jamaica.svg  Paul Foreman  (JAM)7.36 mFlag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Learie Scipio  (TRI)7.24 mFlag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg  Lester Bird  (ATG)7.20 m
Triple jumpFlag of Jamaica.svg Monteith (JAM)14.08 mFlag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Leroy Williams  (TRI)13.99 mFlag of Jamaica.svg  Paul Foreman  (JAM)13.83 m
Shot putFlag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Conrad Derrick  (TRI)12.65 mFlag of Jamaica.svg  Milton Bernard  (JAM)12.20 mFlag of Jamaica.svg  Calvin Downie  (JAM)11.19 m
Discus throwFlag of Jamaica.svg  Calvin Downie  (JAM)38.57 mFlag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Leroy Williams  (TRI)37.33 mFlag of Jamaica.svg  William Hall  (JAM)36.03 m
Javelin throwFlag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Hugh Garrick  (TRI)49.89 mFlag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Carlton Clarke  (TRI)49.40 mFlag of Jamaica.svg  C. Isaacs  (JAM)46.14 m

References

  1. Bahamas Track Men Seek Team Berths. The Miami News (1957-07-21). Retrieved on 2015-03-21.
  2. British West Indies Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2015-03-21.
  3. Former Prime Minister Lester Bird to be confered [sic] the Honour of National Hero of Antigua and Barbuda. Caribarena (2014-11-01). Retrieved on 2015-03-21.
Medallists