PORTRAITS OF 'S OLYMPIC MEDAL WINNERS http://www.nalis.gov.tt/Sport%5CSports_TTOlympicMedalists.html

Bernard, Kent (Athletics)

Born on May 27, 1942, Kent Bernard blossomed in the field of athletics when he won the Victor Ludorum at the Belmont Intermediate School in 1959 and 1960.

He then became a member of the Burnley Athletics School under the watchful eyes of Coach George Clarke. From Trinidad, he obtained an athletic scholarship to Michigan State University and represented his University with such a degree of success that he was selected to represent Trinidad and Tobago at the 1964 in , Japan.

Bernard was a member of the bronze medal relay team at these Games. In 1966 he won silver and gold in the 440 yards and 4x440 yards events respectively at the Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica.

At the commonwealth Games in 1970, he picked up silver in the 4x400 metres event in Edinburgh, Scotland; and ended his athletic career with bronze in the 4x400 metres at the Pan American Games in Cali, Colombia.

Boldon, Ato

(Athletics) 1973: Ato is born in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, to Guy and Hope Boldon.

1980: Ato's younger brother Okera is born.

1988: He leaves Trinidad for New York, where, while playing soccer, he is discovered by head track coach Joe Trupiano at Jamaica High School in Queens.

1989: Competes in his first track season, recording times of 10.83, 21.44 and 48.52 for 100, 200 and 400 meters, respectively.

1990: Moves to San Jose, California, where he becomes an All-State forward in soccer at Piedmont Hills High. It is the last time he plays organized soccer. 2

1991: He improves to 10.57 and 21.07 in this his senior year, finishing 3rd at the California State High School Championships at 200 meters.

1992: After his Olympic debut in Barcelona, Ato returns from the World Junior Championships in Seoul, South Korea with 2 gold medals and some history. No one previously had won both the 100 and 200 meters at these Championships. The world's press heralds him as "The One to Watch" for the future. Ato records a 10.22 second best for 100 meters by the year's end.

1995: After winning the NCAA 200m title for UCLA, Ato surpasses Carl Lewis as the youngest-ever medalist in a World Championship 100 metre dash, at 21, taking bronze in 10.03 seconds. His 200 meters improves to 20.08 seconds.

1996: Ato sets the world lead early, with a 9.93 in April. Next, he sets a meet record in the NCAA 100m Championships with a 9.92, in June.

Then, in his second Olympic performance, Ato becomes a double-medalist, taking bronze in two world-record breaking races, the 100 and 200 metre dashes. He records 9.90 seconds for the 100 meters and 19.80 seconds for 200 meters, becoming one of only six men to ever run under 10 for 100 meters and under 20 for 200 meters. That 9.90 is still the collegiate record.

1997: After succumbing to injury in the 100m final at the World Championships, Ato returns 4 days later to win his first World Title in the 200 metre dash. It his country's first track gold medal in 21 years. He improves his times to 9.87 and 19.77, putting him in history's top 5 ever in both events.

2000: Ato takes silver (9.99 seconds) in the men's 100 metre sprint at the Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. He takes bronze (20.20 seconds) in the men's 200 metre race.

Kilgour, Lennox (Weightlifting)

Lennox Kilgour, popularly known as "Gour", was born on May 5th, 1928 and commenced his weightlifting career at the tender age of 15. In 1946, he won the Trinidad and Tobago Junior Championships but suffered defeat in the Senior Championships.

Kilgour made his international debut at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Guatemala in 1950. From there he went on to the Pan American Games in 1951 where he came second to John Davis of the in the heavyweight division. He 3 followed this up winning bronze at the Helsinki Olympics of 1952. "Gour" finally gave up competitive lifting after the 1956 Olympic Games held in Melbourne, Australia, when he came sixth in his event.

Mottley, Wendell (Athletics)

Wendell Mottley was born on July 2, 1941, and enjoyed an athletic career from 1958 to 1967.

In 1958, he won the Under-17 100 yards in a record time of 10.1 seconds at the Queen's Royal College Sports. In 1959, he was the Victor Ludorum at the same sports meet, with victories in the 100, 220, 440 and 880 yards.

In 1960 he went on to where he eventually obtained a BA degree in Economics. In 1964 he established world marks in the following indoor events; 400 yards (48.0); 550 yards (55.5) and 600 (1.09.2).

The successful indoor season served him in good stead as he went on to win a silver medal in the and bronze in the 4x400 metres relay at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, later that year.

In 1966, Mottley took part in his only Commonwealth Games and won gold medals in the 440 yards and the 4x440 yards on the world-record-establishing relay team.

Roberts, Edwin Anthony (Athletics)

Edwin Roberts first made an impression on the athletic world at Guaracara Park in 1961, when he defeated Milka Singh, who had placed fourth in the Olympic Games in Rome the previous year.

His international debut was made at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Kingston, Jamaica in 1962 when he won silver medals in the 200 metres and in the 4x100 metres relay, and a bronze in the 4x400.

Later in the year, he represented the country at the Commonwealth Games in Perth, Australia, but was eliminated in the second round of both the 100 and 200 metre events.

He later accepted an athletic scholarship at the North Carolina College and was a regular on national teams from 1964 to 1972, winning gold in the 200 metres, and 4 three silver medals in the 100 metres and both relays at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Puerto Rico in 1966.

In the same year, he won a bronze in 100 yards, silver in the 220 yards and shared in a world record of three minutes 2.8 seconds in the 4x440 yards relay in Kingston, Jamaica.

Four years later, Roberts won two silver medals in the 200 metres and 4x400 relay at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh Scotland. In his lone representation at the Pan American Games in Cali, Colombia, in 1971, Roberts won bronze in the 200 metres as well as the 4x400 metres relay.

Edwin Roberts goes down in history as the individual who won this country's first Olympic medal in athletics when he won bronze in the 200 metres at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. He also shared in a bronze in the 4x400-metre relay.

In 1968, he again represented T&T at the Olympic Games in Mexico City, Mexico, placing fourth in the 200 metres. He became the second Trinidadian to compete in three successive Olympic Games then bowed out of competition after the 1972 Olympic Games.

Skinner, Edwin (Athletics)

Edwin Skinner was born on October 15, 1940, and his athletic career lasted for about 13 years.

Skinner showed promise at the tender age of 13 when he won both the 100 and 220 yards at the Coronation Sport Meeting held at the Queen's Park Oval in 1952.

In 1959 he played second fiddle to Wendell Mottley in the 100, 220 and 440 yards events at the Queen's Royal College Championships. In 1962 he held the Trinidad records in both the 200 and 400 events.

Skinner subsequently proceeded to the University of Maryland where he was a member of the University Team that established a world indoor record in the 4x400 yards event.

At the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, Skinner placed eighth in the finals for the 400 metres, and was a member of the bronze medal-winning team in the 4x400- metre relay. He won bronze in the 400m at the only Central American and Caribbean Games at which he participated, in Puerto Rico in 1966. 5

Wilkes, Rodney H.B.M. (Weightlifting)

Born on 11th March, 1925, Rodney Wilkes enjoyed a successful weightlifting career that spanned 1942 to 1960. Wilkes, made his first impression on the international scene winning a gold medal in the featherweight class at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Baranquilla, Colombia, in 1946. He retained this title four years later with another gold in Guatemala in 1950.

At the Pan-American Games level, Wilkes competed I the first Pan American Games in Buenos Aires in 1951 where he won gold. He was also the winner of a gold and bronze at the then British Empire and commonwealth Games in Vancouver, Canada, and in Cardiff, Wales, in 1954 and 1958 respectively.

Rodney Wilkes took part in three Olympic Games, winning the first ever medal for Trinidad and Tobago when he was second to Fayad of Egypt in London, England in 1948. After the Olympic Games, he also won the British Empire Championships at the Scala Theatre four years later he went on to win a bronze with a total of 770 lbs. in Helsinki, Finland.

His Olympic career came to an end at the Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia where he ended up in fourth place with his highest total of 727 1/2 lbs.