1959 British West Indies Championships

The 1959 British West Indies Championships was the third edition of the track and field competition between British colony nations in the Caribbean. It was held in Georgetown in British Guiana. A total of 27 events were contested, twenty-one by men and six by women. This was the first time that women had been able to compete at the event. Three new men's events were added to the programme: 3000 metres steeplechase, half marathon, and the 3000 metres walk. The latter two were the first road running and racewalking events to be included.[1]

For a third time running, George de Peana of British Guiana won both the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres titles, remaining undefeated at the tournament. Aside from de Peana, Ralph Gomes was the only other athlete to defend his title from the 1958 edition, doing so in the 1500 metres.[1] George Kerr rose to prominence with a 400 metres and 800 metres double – distances he would win Olympic medals in a year later.[2] In the women's section, the British Guiana team were dominant, being led by double individual sprint medallist Myra Fawcett.[1]

Also among the gold medallists was Antigua's Lester Bird, winner of the long jump here, who would later go on to be the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda (succeeding his father, Vere Bird).[3] Triple jump medallist Wendell Mottley also became involved in politics later in his life, serving as Trinidad and Tobago's Finance Minister, and high jumper Anton Norris was another athlete in the field to become a prominent economist in the region.[4][5][6]

Medal summary

Men
Event Gold Silver Bronze
100 metres  Mike Agostini (TRI)10.4  Denis Johnson (JAM)???  Keith Gardner (JAM)???
200 metres  Wilton Jackson (TRI)21.4  Keith Gardner (JAM)???  Mike Agostini (TRI)???
400 metres  George Kerr (JAM)46.8  Mal Spence (JAM)???  Mel Spence (JAM)???
800 metres  George Kerr (JAM)1:53.6  Tony Seth (BGU)???  Mel Spence (JAM)???
1500 metres  Ralph Gomes (BGU)3:54.7  M. Perry (BGU)???  McDonald Philbert (TRI)???
5000 metres  George de Peana (BGU)15:02.0  Harry Prowell (BGU)???  Glenroy Charles (TRI)???
10,000 metres  George de Peana (BGU)31:58.6  Harry Prowell (BGU)???  Moses Dwarika (BGU)???
110 m hurdles  Keith Gardner (JAM)14.4  Cliff Murray (BGU)???  Leroy Keane (JAM)???
400 m hurdles  Basil Bonair (TRI)53.4  Leroy Keane (JAM)???  William Gittens (GRN)???
3000 metres steeplechase  Clem Fields (BGU)10:31.0  R. Williams (BGU)???  Glenroy Charles (TRI)???
4×100 m relay  Jamaica (JAM)42.2  Trinidad and Tobago (TTO)???  British Guiana (BGU)???
4×400 m relay  Jamaica (JAM)3:09.5  Trinidad and Tobago (TTO)???  British Guiana (BGU)???
Half marathon  Moses Dwarika (BGU)1:10:33 Unknown athlete??? Unknown athlete???
3000 metres track walk  Sydney Thomas (TRI)15:19.2  Amelius Murrin (TRI)???  G. Mars (BGU)???
High jump  Clifton Bertrand (TRI)2.01 m  L. Greene (BGU)1.90 m  Anton Norris (BAR)1.90 m
Pole vault  Robert Morris (JAM)3.64 m  Gregor Hinkson (TRI)3.50 m  Richard Thelwell (JAM)3.50 m
Long jump  Lester Bird (ATG)7.50 m  Deryck Taylor (JAM)7.19 m  Wellesley Clayton (JAM)7.01 m
Triple jump  Mahoney Samuels (JAM)14.74 m  Wendell Mottley (TRI)14.48 m  Keith Thelwell (JAM)14.20 m
Shot put  Keith Fraser (BGU)13.69 m  Conrad Derrick (TRI)13.35 m  Milton Bernard (JAM)??? m
Discus throw  Leroy Williams (TRI)38.61 m  Aubrey Edwards (TRI)??? m  William Hall (JAM)??? m
Javelin throw  Dermott Nugent (BAR)52.39 m  Winston Thompson (TRI)??? m  Hugh Garrick (TRI)??? m

Women
Event Gold Silver Bronze
100 metres  Myra Fawcett (BGU)12.2  Y. Smith (BGU)???  Claudette Masdammer (BGU)???
200 metres  Myra Fawcett (BGU)25.2  Y. Smith (BGU)???  W. Parris (BGU)???
80 m hurdles  W. Parris (BGU)13.0  Pearl Joseph (TRI)???  E. Davis (ATG)???
4×100 m relay  British Guiana (BGU)49.9  Trinidad and Tobago (TTO)???  Jamaica (JAM)???
High jump  Brenda Archer (BGU)1.47 m  S. Burgess (JAM)1.47 m  E. Davis (ATG)1.42 m
Long jump  Yvonne Laidlow (JAM)5.46 m  Claudette Masdammer (BGU)5.07 m  W. Parris (BGU)4.96 m

References
  1. British West Indies Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2015-03-21.
  2. George Kerr. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2015-03-22.
  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.
  4. Wendell Mottley. Ivy League. Retrieved on 2015-03-22.
  5. Wendell Mottley. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2015-03-22.
  6. E. Anton Norris, MBA . One Caribbean. Retrieved on 2015-03-22.
Medallists
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