Herb Mckenley
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Herb McKenley the living legend 5 • 'unquenchable thirst for excellence and was dedicated to achieving greatness' By Fay Davidson and Hector Wynter and Leo Johnson spurred him on to fulftl his dream. McKenley won his first major �"""" • title In New York on June 30, 1945. In u.. the Btg 10 Championship In 1946, he 0 NOTE: This is thend seco in a new series by Miss Fay Davidson of the broke the World Record and received a National Library and the Hon. Hector Wynter, O.J. Last week they � of 1952 five-minute standing ovation. He ranthe ..-.(. recalled the pride the Helsinki Olympics, and looked in some 400m. In under 46 seconds Jn the Dr. or:::: detail at Arthur Wint, the captain of the Four. TOday, they look at A.A.U. Championships in Milwaukee. C,") Herb McKenley, and next week they wDllook at George Rhoden and Les Wisconsin, on July 5. 1948 (45.9 ::a seconds). -· Laing. 4: He held the record for the 300 yards, 7 400 yards and 400 metres from 1946 ttl 0 1948. He held the 440 yards world his third leg of the 1600m. relay In 44.6 � '' ERBSORTS OF floats record from 1946 to 1953. Herb seconds. He was the first to 400m. "'( along ... spikes barely run contested the A.A.U. events 11 times, In a relay under 45 seconds. z brushing the ground... like 1943 to 1953, finishing less than second a golfH bag down a concrete road• - Leo Herb McKenley has held five world only twice. He won three times. JQhnson, formerTrack at Coach the records; he has won four Olympic Added to his list of first, Herb Uninraityof llllnola. medals - one Gold and three Silver (one McKenley has the honour of being the Silver In 1948 400m: Silver in 1Om. and first (and only) athlete to be a finalist tn Herb McKenley has the best record iii 400m. Helsinki; Gold In 1600m. relay the 1oom. 200m and 400m In an overall In Olympic history and has a Helsinki}. McKENLEY Olympic Competition. Despite his relay leg matched only perhaps by Bob As far as Jamaica's track history Is ... an insurance executive in record-breaking perfonnances, however, Hayes, anchormanIn the shorter race In Jamaica concerned, not only has his speed been Herb did not win his Olympic Gold Medal 1964. phenomenal, but he hasalso been the Championships In 1940. The until the Helsinki Relay of 1952. · He was the first manto runthe 400 first an� only athlete to reach the finr's scholarship took him to Boston College. In 1953, he stgned a contract with than 46 metres in less seconds. He was In all threetndivldual sprtJ¥ events ( uO, He soon moved to the University of Australia to compete In World also acco the first manto have mplished 200, 400} In the Olympics. McKenley Dllnots which offeredgreater Professional Sprint Championships. In 46 the feat In seconds and his has been the only Jamaican to win_ 3 opportunttis for him to exercise his those professional races he learnt that performance was a display of class and medals Jn one Olympics and has the athletic skills. losing races coUld be profitable. Herb style. Athletics history records him as a record of holdlng.the world's 400m; and needed the money at this time for he had revolutionary - he revolutionised the quarter mile record simultaneously. already decided to marry and settle Perfect match · 400m. from a middle distance runinto a Herb's athletic career stretched over down. sprint, and becoming the first Jamaican 11 years. After hishigh school yearsat There he encountered Leo Jopnson to establish a world record In Track Calabar, he was granted a scholarship, -the right athlete meeting the�t Return to Jamaica Athletics. In the history making1952 through the Influence ofAbe lssa, who coach at the right time. They made a On his return to Jamaica in 1954, He}stnkl OJymplCSReJay. he cotppleted sponSored the Business House. perfect match. Herb had an . McKel)ley was appointed Supervisor of THE SUNDAY GLEANER MAGAZINE, November 1, 1987 PA.G�II. ,, l ··•it �, , \1 •'\ I �l �fL - I'IIJ' Herb has held five world records ... As far as ]amaica,s track history is concerned .. his speed has been phenomenal. Athletics. He undertook the establish opponent, Leroy 'Cocci- Brown of ment of Athletic Clubs In different parts Walmer's Boys. After school. Herb of the island so as to keep the interest of trained with Arthur Wint, Hugo Fuller, Track Athletics alive and to foster the Al Brown, Hugh and Carl March on the competitive spirit. He also recommended grounds of Bellevue.· the establishment of different branches Herb's earliest training at Sprint and of the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Asso Relay baton carrying was ciation to lessen the work of the parent unprecedented. He started violin body. He was made the Jamaican Team practice at 12 years old, and his violin Coach In 1958. teacher lived 2lh miles away. Herb, more McKenley was the principal speaker a lover of bananas than the violin, spent at the first international Track Coaches his bus fare on bananas and ran the 1956. Association Clinic in The track distance with violin in hand three days a star spoke on the subject he knew best. week for three years. His grandfather kThe Quarter Mile", to over 750 of the also. provided material encouragement. world's foremost track coaches. He matched Herb's speed with visitor's Coach McKenley has been responsible to the house and Herb was paid three for developing several Olympic stars. pennies for each victory. George Kerr being the most notable pro tegee; he has also coached victorious Honours and awards teams with our latest athletic hero, Don In later years, McKenley's rewards ald Quarrie. were much greater. In 1975, he received On an international level, McKenley the O.D. and in the same year he was managed and coached the America's Inducted in The America's Black Hall of team to the inaugural World Cup Track Fame (Sports): "In recognition, honour and Field Championships In Dusseldorf, and appreciation of his outstanding 1969. Germany, In He was Assistant contribution and achievement in the Manager/Coach of the Western Hemi world of sports". - sphere team against Russia, and Coach The Customs Tourers of Jamaica of the Rest of the World Team In a three honoured him In 1983 for his way track and field athletic game with 'outstanding contribution to athletics. Russia and the U.S.A. tn California in 1971 . In 1977. he was appointed to the He was born In Pleasant Valley, Pan American Commission, the group Clarendon on July 10, 1922, the son of responsible for overseeing the affairs of the late Dr. and Mrs. Alexander track and field athletics In the Western McKenley. In 1934, he attended Mtco Hemisphere. Along with Cuba's Olympic Practising School in Kingston, and in Gold Medallist, Afberto Juatorena, and 1937 he started at Calabar, where it was & Trinidad Tobago's Olympic Gold Med compulsory for all boys to be involved in allist, Hasely Crawford, McKenley re sports. ceived the Keys to the City of Xalopa In· Mexico. Employment Early life After his fullttme Involvement In athletics, he became an Insurance Herb was not the typical schoolboy Salesman In Jersey City, and has stuck star athlete of his day. He represented to that profession for many years. At Calabar at football and cricket, topping present, he Is an Insurance Company the bowling average in the Sunlight Cup executive In Jamaica. Competition. and playing with distinction for the All-Sunlight Team. Sporting tip One main source of inspiration at the "Cohesion and perfect understanding time of his debut in the Schoolboy between the four members of a spring 1938 Athletic Competition in was relay team are very Important. The first Arthur Wint's visit to Calabar, his Alma leg requJ�es an athlete with an explosive Mater. Herb was impressed with his start, the second leg calls for a fighter, smart dress and his overall demeanour. the third a curve specialist and the For his first four years of participation fourth a big occasion man" ... this Is the In Boys Champs, he was not a victor, view of Herb McKenley, one of the but he always finished In the first three. world's greatest athletes, and certainly During this time, he was know as L. Jamaica's most versatile sprinter. Coco Brown's mango. because he was NEXT SUNDAY: George Rhoden and beaten several time by his greatest Lealie Laing At the University of Illinois, he encountered Leo Johnson -- the right athlete meeting the right coach at �he right time ... THE SUNDAY GLEANER MAGAZINE, November 1, 1987 • HERB McKENLEY (left) passes the baton to George Rhoden for the Cmalleg of the famous race -- the 1,600 metre relay won by Jamaica in world record time at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki. Finland• • t t j; I .