George Kerr (runner)

George Kerr
Kerr in 1961
Personal information
Born(1937-10-16)16 October 1937
Hanover Parish, Jamaica
Died15 June 2012(2012-06-15) (aged 74)
Kingston, Jamaica
Height180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight70 kg (154 lb)
Sport
SportAthletics
Event(s)
400 m, 800 m
ClubKnockalva Agricultural School, Hanover, Jamaica
University of Illinois, Champaign (USA)
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)400 – 45.7y (1960)
800 m – 1:45.8y (1964)[1][2]
Medal record
Representing  British West Indies
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 1960 Rome 4×400 m relay
Bronze medal – third place 1960 Rome 800 metres
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 1959 Chicago 400 metres
Gold medal – first place 1959 Chicago 4×400 m relay
Silver medal – second place 1959 Chicago 800 metres
Representing  Jamaica
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 1962 Perth 440 yards
Gold medal – first place 1962 Perth 4×440 yd relay
Silver medal – second place 1962 Perth 880 yards
Bronze medal – third place 1958 Cardiff 4×440 yd relay
Bronze medal – third place 1966 Kingston 880 yards
Central American and Caribbean Games
Gold medal – first place 1962 Kingston 400 metres
Gold medal – first place 1962 Kingston 800 metres
Gold medal – first place 1962 Kingston 4×400 m relay

George Ezekiel Kerr (16 October 1937 – 15 June 2012) was a Jamaican athlete who competed in the 400 and 800 metres. He competed for the British West Indies at the 1960 Summer Olympics, where he won the bronze medal in the 800 metres. He then teamed up with Keith Gardner, Malcolm Spence and James Wedderburn to win the bronze medal in the 4×400 metres relay.[1]

In 1962, he became the first Jamaican athlete to have the national flag flown in recognition of winning a gold when he won double gold in the 400 m and 800 m at the Central American and Caribbean Games held at Kingston's National Stadium. At the 1964 Olympics, representing Jamaica, he finished fourth both in the 800 m and the 4 × 400 m relay. He broke the Olympic record for the 800 m in the semi-finals but lost the bronze by less than one-tenth of a second with 1:45.9, his fastest ever time.[1]

Kerr won five medals at three Commonwealth Games. In 1958 he won a bronze in the 4 × 440 yards relay. He won gold medals in the 440 yards and in the 4 × 440 yards relay and silver in the 880 yards in 1962. His final medal, a bronze for the 880 yards, came in 1966 in Kingston, Jamaica.[3]

Kerr won the British AAA Championships title in the 880 yards event at the 1961 AAA Championships.[4][5][6]

On 4 June 2012, Kerr had a heart attack and underwent heart surgery at the University Hospital of the West Indies. He remained in the intensive care unit until he succumbed to complications. He had a wife, Fay Kerr, five children, Karyn, Margaret, Roger, Candice and William and seven grandchildren.[7]

International competitions

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing  Jamaica
1956 Olympic Games Melbourne, Australia 14th (qf) 400 m 47.79
8th (h) 4 × 400 m relay 3:11.01
1957 British West Indies Championships Kingston, Jamaica 3rd 400 m 47.7
1st 800 m 1:50.5
1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:14.0
1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Cardiff, United Kingdom 10th (sf) 440 y 48.4
3rd 4 × 440 y relay 3:10.08
1959 British West Indies Championships Georgetown, British Guiana 1st 400 m 46.8
1st 800 m 1:53.6
1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:09.5
Pan American Games2 Chicago, United States 1st 400 m 46.1
2nd 800 m 1:49.4
1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:05.3
1960 British West Indies Championships Kingston, Jamaica 2nd 400 m 46.8
1st 800 m 1:49.8
Olympic Games2 Tokyo, Japan 3rd 800 m 1:47.25
3rd 4 × 400 m relay 3:04.13
1962 Central American and Caribbean Games Kingston, Jamaica 1st 400 m 45.9
1st 800 m 1:51.0
1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:11.6
British Empire and Commonwealth Games Perth, Australia 1st 440 y 46.7
2nd 880 y 1:47.8
1st 4 × 440 y relay 3:10.2
1964 British West Indies Championships Kingston, Jamaica 1st 1500 m 3:52.6
Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 4th 800 m 1:45.9
4th 4 × 400 m relay 3:02.3
1965 British West Indies Championships Bridgetown, Barbados 3rd 5000 m 16:00.8
1966 Central American and Caribbean Games San Juan, Puerto Rico 1st (h) 800 m 1:53.03
7th 5000 m NT
British Empire and Commonwealth Games Kingston, Jamaica 3rd 880 y 1:47.2
4th 4 × 440 y relay 3:06.8

1Disqualified in the final
2Representing British West Indies
3Did not finish in the final

References

  1. ^ a b c Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "George Kerr". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 23 May 2015.
  2. ^ George Kerr. trackfield.brinkster.net
  3. ^ "George Kerr Passes – Wished More Jamaicans Did The 800m". Jamaicanewsbulletin.com. Archived from the original on 25 June 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
  4. ^ "AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists". National Union of Track Statisticians. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
  5. ^ "AAA Championships (men)". GBR Athletics. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
  6. ^ "White City details". Daily Express. 15 July 1961. Retrieved 4 May 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "Olympian George Kerr dies at 74 – Sports". JamaicaObserver.com. Archived from the original on 11 August 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
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