1960 British West Indies Championships
The 1960 British West Indies Championships was the fourth edition of the track and field competition between British colony nations in the Caribbean. It was held in Kingston, Jamaica. A total of 31 events were contested, twenty-two by men and nine by women. The women's programme was extended with three throwing events. A new men's event was also included: the athletics pentathlon was the first and only time that a combined track and field event was contested at the completion.[1]
Jamaica's Anne Golding was the most successful athlete of the tournament, winning all three inaugural women's throwing events. Harry Prowell succeeded his fellow British Guianan, George de Peana, as the dominant long-distance runner by winning the 5000 m and 10,000 m races. Leroy Keane of Jamaica was the only other athlete to win two titles: he topped the podium in the 400 metres hurdles and also the pentathlon. Six men managed to retain their 1959 titles: Wilton Jackson (200 m), George Kerr (800 m), Ralph Gomes (a third 1500 m title), Keith Gardner (110 m hurdles), Moses Dwarika (half marathon) and Sydney Thomas (3000 m walk). Brenda Archer was the only woman to defend her 1959 title, doing so in the women's high jump.[1]
This competition preceded the assembly of the first British West Indies Olympic team. At the 1960 Summer Olympics, the federation won two medals: reigning British West Indies 800 m champion George Kerr took the bronze medal in his speciality, and a team of Kerr, James Wedderburn, Gardner and Mal Spence won a second bronze in the 4×400 metres relay.[2]
Saint Lucia had its first ever medallist at the tournament in the form of Imbert Roberts's gold in the men's shot put.[1]
Medal summary
Men
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 metres |  Tom Robinson (BAH) | 10.4 |  Dennis Johnson (JAM) | 10.4 | Al Phillips (JAM) | 10.6 |
| 200 metres |  Wilton Jackson (TRI) | 21.1 | Keith Gardner (JAM) | 21.2 | Clifton Bertrand (TRI) | 21.3 |
| 400 metres | Mal Spence (JAM) | 46.7 | George Kerr (JAM) | 46.8 | Mel Spence (JAM) | 47.1 |
| 800 metres | George Kerr (JAM) | 1:49.8 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Ralph Gomes (BGU) | 1:50.6 | Kervin Thomas (JAM) | 1:51.3 |
| 1500 metres | Ralph Gomes (BGU) | 3:58.6 | Knolly Barnes (TRI) | 3:59.1 | M. Perry (BGU) | 4:03.0 |
| 5000 metres | Harry Prowell (BGU) | 15:15.0 | Glenroy Charles (TRI) | 15:26.1 | J. Davis (BGU) | 15:26.7 |
| 10,000 metres | Harry Prowell (BGU) | 31:57.3 | J. Davis (BGU) | 32:15.0 | Glenroy Charles (TRI) | 32:41.5 |
| 110 m hurdles | Keith Gardner (JAM) | 14.5 | Leroy Keane (JAM) | 15.1 | Ray Davis (TRI) | 15.7 |
| 400 m hurdles | Leroy Keane (JAM) | 53.7 | Basil Bonair (TRI) | 55.5 | Cliff Murray (BGU) | 56.6 |
| 3000 metres steeplechase | Glenroy Charles (TRI) | 10:58.5 | Clem Fields (BGU) | 11:15.3 | R. Williams (BGU) | ??? |
| 4×100 m relay | Jamaica (JAM) | 41.5 | British Guiana (BGU) | 42.7 | Bahamas (BAH) | 45.8 |
| 4×400 m relay | Jamaica (JAM) | 3:09.2 | British Guiana (BGU) | 3:18.8 | Trinidad and Tobago (TTO) | 3:24.3 |
| Half marathon | Moses Dwarkia (BGU) | 1:11:13 | Clem Fields (BGU) | 1:12:41 | S. Ramnarine (BGU) | 1:12:42 |
| 3000 metres track walk | Sydney Thomas (TRI) | 15:05.6 | Amelius Murrin (TRI) | 15:10.5 |  D. Richards (ATG) | 17:13.4 |
| High jump | Ernle Haisley (JAM) | 2.02 m | Learie Scipio (TRI) | 1.85 m | L. Greene (BGU) | 1.80 m |
| Pole vault | Reginald Dash (BGU) | 3.69 m | R. Mannaing (JAM) | 3.50 m | Ken Jones (TRI) | 3.50 m |
| Long jump | Paul Foreman (JAM) | 7.55 m | Victor Brooks (JAM) | 7.36 m | Lester Bird (ATG) | 7.24 m |
| Triple jump | Mahoney Samuels (JAM) | 15.47 m | Learie Scipio (TRI) | 14.31 m | Victor Brooks (JAM) | 14.18 m |
| Shot put |  Imbert Roberts (LCA) | 13.79 m | Keith Fraser (BGU) | 13.70 m | Philippian Young (TRI) | 13.22 m |
| Discus throw | Henry Greaux (ATG) | 42.79 m | Aubrey Edwards (TRI) | 39.76 m | Hugh Malcolm (JAM) | 38.51 m |
| Javelin throw | Winston Thompson (TRI) | 62.10 m |  Dermott Nugent (BAR) | 55.05 m | Hugh Malcolm (JAM) | ??? m |
| Pentathlon | Leroy Keane (JAM) | 2512 pts | Wellesley Clayton (JAM) | 2289 pts | Cliff Murray (BGU) | 2243 pts |
Women
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 metres | Sybil Donmartin (TRI) | 12.4 | Ouida Walker (JAM) | 12.5 | Myra Fawcett (BGU) | 12.6 |
| 200 metres | Ouida Walker (JAM) | 25.3 | Eastlyn Clarke (TRI) | 25.5 | W. Parris (BGU) | ??? |
| 80 m hurdles | Merlyn Reid (TRI) | 13.1 | E. Smith (JAM) | 13.3 | B. Jones (JAM) | 13.8 |
| 4×100 m relay | Trinidad and Tobago (TTO) | 50.4 | British Guiana (BGU) | 50.8 | Unknown team | ??? |
| High jump | Brenda Archer (BGU) | 1.61 m | B. Buckley (JAM) | 1.50 m | E. Davis (ATG) | ??? m |
| Long jump | Yvonne Laidlow (JAM) | 5.52 m | Merlyn Reid (TRI) | 5.05 m | D. Forde (BGU) | 5.03 m |
| Shot put | Anne Golding (JAM) | 9.80 m | Marilyn Bayley (TRI) | 8.85 m | Brenda Archer (BGU) | 8.39 m |
| Discus throw | Anne Golding (JAM) | 29.98 m | W. Parris (BGU) | 25.40 m | Marilyn Bayley (TRI) | 24.97 m |
| Javelin throw | Anne Golding (JAM) | 29.79 m | Eileen Sutherland (JAM) | 29.10 m | Marilyn Bayley (TRI) | 27.76 m |
References
- British West Indies Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2015-03-21.
- West Indies Federation at the 1960 Roma Summer Games. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2015-03-22.
- Medallists
- British West Indies Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2015-03-21.
