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, 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 .[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 |  (BGU) |
??? | Mel Spence (JAM) |
??? |
| 1500 metres | Ralph Gomes (BGU) |
3:54.7 | (BGU) |
??? | (TRI) |
??? |
| 5000 metres | (BGU) |
15:02.0 | Harry Prowell (BGU) |
??? | (TRI) |
??? |
| 10,000 metres | (BGU) |
31:58.6 | Harry Prowell (BGU) |
??? | (BGU) |
??? |
| 110 m hurdles | Keith Gardner (JAM) |
14.4 | (BGU) |
??? | Leroy Keane (JAM) |
??? |
| 400 m hurdles | (TRI) |
53.4 | Leroy Keane (JAM) |
??? |  (GRN) |
??? |
| 3000 metres steeplechase | (BGU) |
10:31.0 | (BGU) |
??? | (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 | (BGU) |
1:10:33 | Unknown athlete | ??? | Unknown athlete | ??? |
| 3000 metres track walk | (TRI) |
15:19.2 | (TRI) |
??? | (BGU) |
??? |
| High jump | Clifton Bertrand (TRI) |
2.01 m | (BGU) |
1.90 m |  Anton Norris (BAR) |
1.90 m |
| Pole vault | (JAM) |
3.64 m | (TRI) |
3.50 m | (JAM) |
3.50 m |
| Long jump |  Lester Bird (ATG) |
7.50 m | (JAM) |
7.19 m | Wellesley Clayton (JAM) |
7.01 m |
| Triple jump | (JAM) |
14.74 m | Wendell Mottley (TRI) |
14.48 m | (JAM) |
14.20 m |
| Shot put | (BGU) |
13.69 m | (TRI) |
13.35 m | (JAM) |
??? m |
| Discus throw | (TRI) |
38.61 m | (TRI) |
??? m | (JAM) |
??? m |
| Javelin throw | (BAR) |
52.39 m | (TRI) |
??? m | (TRI) |
??? m |
Women[]
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 metres | (BGU) |
12.2 | (BGU) |
??? | Claudette Masdammer (BGU) |
??? |
| 200 metres | (BGU) |
25.2 | (BGU) |
??? | (BGU) |
??? |
| 80 m hurdles | (BGU) |
13.0 | (TRI) |
??? | (ATG) |
??? |
| 4×100 m relay | British Guiana (BGU) |
49.9 | Trinidad and Tobago (TTO) |
??? | Jamaica (JAM) |
??? |
| High jump | Brenda Archer (BGU) |
1.47 m | (JAM) |
1.47 m | (ATG) |
1.42 m |
| Long jump | (JAM) |
5.46 m | Claudette Masdammer (BGU) |
5.07 m | (BGU) |
4.96 m |
References[]
- ^ a b c British West Indies Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2015-03-21.
- ^ George Kerr. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2015-03-22.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Wendell Mottley. Ivy League. Retrieved on 2015-03-22.
- ^ Wendell Mottley. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2015-03-22.
- ^ E. Anton Norris, MBA . One Caribbean. Retrieved on 2015-03-22.
- Medallists
- British West Indies Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2015-03-21.
- British West Indies Championships
- 1959 in British Guiana
- 1959 in athletics (track and field)
- 1959 in Caribbean sport
- Athletics in Guyana
- Georgetown, Guyana