Jamaican athlete (1937–2012)
George Kerr
Kerr in 1961
Born (1937-10-16 ) 16 October 1937Hanover Parish , Jamaica Died 15 June 2012(2012-06-15) (aged 74)Kingston, Jamaica Height 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) Weight 70 kg (154 lb) Sport Athletics Event(s) 400 m, 800 m Club Knockalva Agricultural School, Hanover, Jamaica University of Illinois, Champaign (USA) Personal best(s) 400 – 45.7y (1960) 800 m – 1:45.8y (1964)[ 1] [ 2]
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]
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.[ 4]
1951 : B. Brown , M. Whitfield , J. Voight , H. Maiocco (USA ) 1955 : J. Mashburn , L. Spurrier , J. Lea , L. Jones (USA ) 1959 : Mel Spence , G. Kerr , Mal Spence , B. Ince (BWI ) 1963 : O. Cassell , J. Johnson , R. Edmunds , E. Young (USA ) 1967 : V. Matthews , E. Taylor , E. Stinson , L. Evans (USA ) 1971 : J. Smith , D. Alexander , F. Newhouse , T. Turner (USA ) 1975 : H. Frazier , R. Taylor , M. Peoples , R. Ray (USA ) 1979 : T. Darden , M. Peoples , H. Frazier , J. Walker (USA ) 1983 : A. Babers , M. Bradley , J. Rolle , E. Carey (USA ) 1987 : R. Pierre , K. Robinzine , R. Haley , M. Rowe (USA ) 1991 : H. Herrera , A. Pavó , J. Valentín , L. Martínez (CUB ) 1995 : J. Crusellas , N. Téllez , O. Mena , I. García (CUB ) 1999 : D. Clarke , M. McDonald , D. McFarlane , G. Haughton (JAM ) 2003 : D. Clarke , L. Spence , S. Ayre , M. Campbell (JAM ) 2007 : A. Williams , A. Moncur , M. Mathieu , C. Brown (BAH ) 2011 : N. Ruíz , R. Acea , O. Cisneros , W. Collazo (CUB ) 2015 : R. Quow , J. Solomon , E. Mayers , M. Cedenio (TTO ) 2019 : J. Perlaza , D. Palomeque , J. Solís , A. Zambrano (COL ) 2023 : L. Carvalho , M. Lima , D. Hernandes , L. Vilar (BRA )
440 yards (1930–1966) 400 metres (1970–present)
4 x 440 yards (1930–1966) 1930 : Leigh-Wood , Townend , Burghley , Brangwin (ENG ) 1934 : Rathbone , Blake , Stoneley , Rampling (ENG ) 1938 : Orr , Dale , Fritz , Loaring (CAN ) 1950 : Carr , Gedge , Humphreys , Price (AUS ) 1954 : Higgins , Dick , Fryer , Johnson (ENG ) 1958 : Day , Evans , Potgieter , M.C. Spence (RSA ) 1962 : Kerr , Khan , M.A. Spence , M. Spence (JAM ) 1966 : Yearwood , Bernard , Roberts , Mottley (TTO ) 4 x 400 metres (1970–present) 1970 : Nyamau , Sang , Ouko , Asati (KEN ) 1974 : Asati , Musyoki , Sang , Koskei (KEN ) 1978 : Kimaiyo , Ngetich , Njiri , Koskei (KEN ) 1982 : Cook , Brown , Scutt , Bennett (ENG ) 1986 : Akabusi , Brown , Black , Bennett (ENG ) 1990 : D. Kitur , S. Kitur , Kipkemboi , Mwanzia (KEN ) 1994 : McKenzie , Crampton , Patrick , Ladejo (ENG ) 1998 : Clarke , Haughton , McDonald , Martin (JAM ) 2002 : Deacon , Baldock , Rawlinson , Caines (ENG ) 2006 : Steffensen , Troode , Ormrod , Hill (AUS ) 2010 : Milburn , Moore , Cole , Wroe (AUS ) 2014 : Williams , Bingham , Awde , Hudson-Smith (ENG ) 2018 : Maotoanong , Thebe , Nkobolo , Makwala (BOT ) 2022 : St. Hillaire , Guevara , Cedenio , Richards (TTO )
1926: Mexico (A. García , C. García , Moraila , Iturbe ) 1930: Mexico (Álvarez , de Anda , Iturbe , Moraila ) 1935: Cuba (Vázquez , Hernández , Fernández , Gómez ) 1938: Panama (Scott , Edgardo , Chevans , Baker ) 1946: Jamaica (McKenley , Woodstock , Rhoden , Wint ) 1950: Panama (S. LaBeach , McSween , Prince , L. LaBeach ) 1954: Jamaica (Laing , LaBeach , Gardner , Rhoden ) 1959: Puerto Rico (F. Rivera , M. Rivera , de Jesús , Rodríguez ) 1962: Jamaica (Mel Spence , Williams , Mal Spence , Kerr ) 1966: Jamaica (Forbes , Mel Spence , Myton , Hoilette ) 1970: Cuba (Olivera , Díaz , J. García , Álvarez ) 1974: Cuba (E. García , Gutiérrez , Álvarez , Juantorena ) 1978: Jamaica (Barriffe , Heywood , Brown , Cameron ) 1982: Cuba (Pavó , Reyté , Ramos , Juantorena ) 1986: Cuba (Peñalver , Pavó , Valentín , Stevens ) 1990: Jamaica (Clarke , Burnett , McCrea , Morris ) 1993: Cuba (Mena , Herrera , Martínez , Téllez ) 1998: Cuba (Mena , Crusellas , Hevia , Téllez ) 2002: Dominican Republic (Matos , Santa , Peralta , Sánchez ) 2006: Jamaica (Ayre , Green , Chambers , Steele ) 2010: Jamaica (Thompson , Green , Cato , Fothergill ) 2014: Cuba (Collazo , Acea , Pellicier , Lescay ) 2018: Cuba (Zamora , Chacón , Rojas , Lescay )