Seymour Newman

Seymour Newman

Personal information
Birth name	Seymour Newman
Born	(1953-05-17) 17 May 1953 (age 71) Manchester, Colony of Jamaica, British Empire
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight	73 kg (161 lb)
Sport
Country	Jamaica
Sport	Athletics
Event	800 metres
Medal record Men's Athletics Commonwealth Games 1978 Edmonton 800 metres 1978 Edmonton 4 x 400m relay Central American and Caribbean Games 1974 Santo Domingo 400 m Central American and Caribbean Championships 1977 Ponce 400 m 1977 Ponce 800 m

Seymour Newman (born 17 May 1953) is a Jamaican former athlete who competed in short and middle-distance running events

Biography

As a youth, Newman was a proficient cricketer and in the early 1970s he played for the Jamaica Under 19s team, in the same side as Jeff Dujon and Michael Holding. ^[1]

Newman represented Jamaica in two events at the 1976 Summer Olympics. He made the semi-finals of the 800 metres and finished fifth in contentious circumstances, having been bumped during the race by US runner Rick Wohlhuter. ^[2] The American was disqualified after the race but later reinstated, a decision which cost Newman a place in the final. ^[2] He was also a member of the 4 × 400 metres relay team which made the final and finished in fifth position.^{[ citation needed ]}

He won both the 400 metres and 800 metres races at the 1977 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics. His run in the 400 metres final was in a field which included Cuba's Olympic champion Alberto Juantorena and set a personal best time, 45.66. ^[3]

At the 1978 Commonwealth Games he won silver medals in the 800 metres and the 4 × 400 metres relay. ^[4]

His personal best in the 800 metres, a time of 1:45.2 set in Helsinki in 1977, remains a Jamaican national record. ^[5]

International competitions

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing   Jamaica
1972	CARIFTA Games	Bridgetown, Barbados	1st	400 m	47.6
1973	Central American and Caribbean Championships	Maracaibo, Venezuela	1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:09.4
1974	Commonwealth Games	Christchurch, New Zealand	9th (sf)	400 m	46.82
	Central American and Caribbean Games	Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic	2nd	400 m	46.34
			3rd	4 × 400 m relay	3:07.52
1976	Olympic Games	Montreal, Canada	11th (sf)	800 m	1:47.22
			5th	4 × 400 m relay	3:02.84
1977	Central American and Caribbean Championships	Xalapa, Mexico	1st	400 m	45.66
			1st	800 m	1:46.13
1978	Central American and Caribbean Games	Medellín, Colombia	3rd	400 m	46.11
			4th	400 m	1:47.69
	Commonwealth Games	Edmonton, Canada	2nd	800 m	1:47.30
			5th (h)	4 × 400 m relay	3:09.17

References

1. "Miscellaneous Matches played by Seymour Newman". CricketArchive. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
2. "U.S. athletes go through day of Olympics disaster". Rome News-Tribune . 25 July 1976. p. 1B. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
3. Clayton, Neil O. (2 March 2014). "Who's Ready to Take up the Mantle of Men's Sprinting in Jamaica". TrackLife International. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
4. Taylor, Orville (10 August 2014). "Some Unheralded Heroes - Commonwealth Games History". Jamaica Gleaner . Retrieved 4 October 2016.
5. Lawrence, Hubert (1 December 2011). "Wint, Kerr, Newman forgotten heroes". Jamaica Gleaner . Retrieved 4 October 2016.

External links

• Seymour Newman at Sports Reference