Lloyd LaBeach......

[Avante]

....was born in Panama but his parents were from Jamaica. So that makes him the first Olympic 100m medalist (took bronze in both sprints) with ties to the Caribbean. In that race (1948) E.McDonald Bailey from Trinidad (actually representing GB) would take 6th. In the 200m Jamaicans Herb McKenley and Les Laing would take 4th/6th. That's where it started as far as the Caribbean is concerned. Mike Agostini another Trini, would star in 56. Then there was Trini's George Lewis a WR holder in the 100m. Cuba's Rafael Fortun was also there in the 50's. Enrigue Figuerola would replace him as the stud Cuban in the early 60's.Tom Robinson from the Bahamas would make the 64 Oly 100m finals. That's the roots to the tree as far as Caribbean sprinting goes.

There was a Cuban back in the 30's, something about a match race vs Jesse Owens...hmm?

Since the late 40's Jamaica has always had sprinters. They had Dennis Johnson a WR holder, Lennox Miler and Don Quarrie both Olympic medalists. A bevy of fast guys like....Erroll Stewart, Mike Fray, Keith Gardner, Carl Lawson etc. Trinidad had Edwin Roberts an Olympic medalist. Hasley Crawford the first Carib sprinter to win the Oly100m. Cuba took the silver in the 68 4x1 with Hermes Ramirez, Juan Morales, Pablo Montez and Figuerola. Hines had to run Figuerola down. Silvio Leonard being Cuba's sub10.00 sprinter.

Those born in Jamaica include Ben Johnson, Linford Christie and Donovan Bailey. Now add Ray Stewart, Percival Spencer and the current crop. Pretty impressive? How big is that island again?

Obviously we can't talk sprinting and the Caribbean and not mention....

Ato Boldon, Richard Thompson, Darrel Brown and Marc Burns from Trinidad. Kim Collins -St.Kitts, Oba Thompson-Barbados and Derrick Atkins-Bahamas. Now add the few I'm missing. Impressive!

Personally I'm glad those islands are finally getting the respect/props they deserve, it is about time!

[STL_Runner]

Just have to mention on this thread that Lloyd LaBeach attended the University of Wisconsin.

[Avante]

Just have to mention on this thread that Lloyd LaBeach attended the University of Wisconsin.

He started out at Wisconsin but would end up at UCLA.

The others mentioned...

Dennis Johnson...SJS
Ray Stewart...TCU
Keith Gardner...Nebraska
Carl Lawson...Idaho
Lennox Miler....USC
Don Quarrie...USC
Mike Agostini...Fresno State
Herb McKenley....Illinois
Les Laing...Fresno State
Richard Thompson...LSU
Erroll Stewart....UTEP
Hasley Crawford....Eastern Michigan
Mike Fray...UTEP
Derrick Atkins...Dickinson
Marc Burns...Auburn
Percival Spencer....TCU
Kim Collins...TCU
Edwin Roberts...NCC
Oba Thompson...UTEP
Tom Robinson...Michigan

[Davidokun]

Kim Collins -St.Kitts

As noted in the pages of T&FN, Kim Collins, of Saint Kitts and Nevis, is actually from Nevis.

[Avante]

Kim Collins -St.Kitts

As noted in the pages of T&FN, Kim Collins, of Saint Kitts and Nevis, is actually from Nevis.

Kinda like saying..."he's from New York"...when actually he was from Harlem...huh?

[Davidokun]

Harlem is a neighborhood in the city of New York, not the city of New York and Harlem. Everyone from Harlem is also from New York.

On the other hand, Nevis is an island in the country of Saint Kitts and Nevis, not the country of Saint Kitts. No one from Nevis is also from Saint Kitts.

Admittedly, it's a minor distinction, hardly worth mentioning, and certainly not worthy of debate, except to recall the aforementioned amusing anecdote from the magazine, wherein someone from Saint Kitts was offered congratulations after Collins's victory in Paris. The reply was a dismissive, "He's from Nevis."

[gh]

I was surprised to learn this summer while visiting Budapest (which centuries ago was two cities, Buda and Pest, on opposite sides of the Danube) that it can be a city divided similarly.

Our tour guide, about 30, tired of still living with her parents (on the Buda side), so she finally saved enough money and found a nice place in Pest, much closer to her job. Her parents raised such an uproar ("how could we explain to the relatives and neighbors that you've moved to Pest?!!!") that she ended up staying at home!

[Avante]

Harlem is a neighborhood in the city of New York, not the city of New York and Harlem. Everyone from Harlem is also from New York.

On the other hand, Nevis is an island in the country of Saint Kitts and Nevis, not the country of Saint Kitts. No one from Nevis is also from Saint Kitts.

Admittedly, it's a minor distinction, hardly worth mentioning, and certainly not worthy of debate, except to recall the aforementioned amusing anecdote from the magazine, wherein someone from Saint Kitts was offered congratulations after Collins's victory in Paris. The reply was a dismissive, "He's from Nevis."

So where is Tobago 8-)

[Avante]

I was surprised to learn this summer while visiting Budapest (which centuries ago was two cities, Buda and Pest, on opposite sides of the Danube) that it can be a city divided similarly.

Our tour guide, about 30, tired of still living with her parents (on the Buda side), so she finally saved enough money and found a nice place in Pest, much closer to her job. Her parents raised such an uproar ("how could we explain to the relatives and neighbors that you've moved to Pest?!!!") that she ended up staying at home!

Buda ..and..Pest? I learn something new everyday 8-)

[Davidokun]

So where is Tobago 8-)

Northeast of Trinidad, in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

[Avante]

So where is Tobago 8-)

Northeast of Trinidad, in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

I need to get out more

[rhymans]

If you delve into history, you'll find that Lloyd LaBeach wasn't quite the first Olympic medalist with Caribbean links. In 1920, representing Britain was Harry Edward, from British Guiana - now Guyana, who won the Bronze medal in the 100. Well, to be honest, he was awarded the bronze - photos show that he was actually 4th behind Jackson Scholz, who was in the outside lane and missed by the judges [the best example of this being the 1957 AAU 100].

[Avante]

If you delve into history, you'll find that Lloyd LaBeach wasn't quite the first Olympic medalist with Caribbean links. In 1920, representing Britain was Harry Edward, from British Guiana - now Guyana, who won the Bronze medal in the 100. Well, to be honest, he was awarded the bronze - photos show that he was actually 4th behind Jackson Scholz, who was in the outside lane and missed by the judges [the best example of this being the 1957 AAU 100].

I never think of Guyana as being in the Caribbean. I guess it is.....huh?

[dj]

If you delve into history, you'll find that Lloyd LaBeach wasn't quite the first Olympic medalist with Caribbean links. In 1920, representing Britain was Harry Edward, from British Guiana - now Guyana, who won the Bronze medal in the 100. Well, to be honest, he was awarded the bronze - photos show that he was actually 4th behind Jackson Scholz, who was in the outside lane and missed by the judges [the best example of this being the 1957 AAU 100].

But Edward also took the 200 bronze, so he's the first Caribbean medalist even discounting the 100.

[Avante]

If you delve into history, you'll find that Lloyd LaBeach wasn't quite the first Olympic medalist with Caribbean links. In 1920, representing Britain was Harry Edward, from British Guiana - now Guyana, who won the Bronze medal in the 100. Well, to be honest, he was awarded the bronze - photos show that he was actually 4th behind Jackson Scholz, who was in the outside lane and missed by the judges [the best example of this being the 1957 AAU 100].

But Edward also took the 200 bronze, so he's the first Caribbean medalist even discounting the 100.

So that makes LaBeach the first Olympic sprint medalist with ties to the Caribbean....islands 8-)

Jack London who took second to Percy Williams in 28 was also Guyanese born. He ran for GB. He was also one of the first big sprinters at 6-2 200 pounds.

I haven't delved into this so it could be inaccurate. I'm "guessing" long jumper Silvio Cator (Haiti/1928)) was the first Olympic medalist (silver) to actually represent a country in the Caribbean. He was histories first 26 footer. Also captain of the Haitian soccer team.