Herb McKenley

Herb McKenley, 1948

Herb McKenley (actually Herbert Henry McKenley; ) (born July 10, 1922 in Pleasant Valley , Clarendon Parish , † November 26, 2007 in Kingston ) was a Jamaican sprinter and Olympic champion .

Career

McKenley, son of a doctor, studied at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and was therefore also eligible to compete in the championships of the American Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). In 1945 he won the 400-meter run in 48.4 seconds at the AAU championship . In 1946 he took part in the Central American Championships in Barranquilla . In the 100-meter run he lost to Cuban Rafael Fortún in 10.7 seconds and in the 200-meter run he finished third behind Fortún and Lloyd LaBeach from Panama. Over 400 meters, three Jamaicans made the victory among themselves. It won Arthur Wint in 48.0 seconds before McKenley in 48.5 seconds and George Rhoden . Together with Clint Woodstock, the three also won the 4 x 400 meter relay .

On June 28, 1947 McKenley set his first world record. At Berkeley he ran for 46.3 seconds over 440 yards. In 1947 he won his second AAU title in 47.1 seconds over the 400-meter course. On June 5, 1948, he improved his world record to 46.0 seconds in Berkeley. A month later, on July 2nd in Milwaukee , he ran 45.9 seconds on the metric course in the run-up to the AAU championship. This made him the first 400-meter runner to stay under 46 seconds. He won the final of the AAU championship in 46.3 seconds. With that, McKenley traveled as a favorite to the 1948 Olympic Games in London. There he was fourth over 200 meters in 21.2 seconds. On his special route he ran 46.4 seconds and lost to his compatriot Arthur Wint in 46.2 seconds. In the final of the 4 x 400 meter relay, Arthur Wint was injured as the third runner in the Jamaican relay while chasing the leading Americans; McKenley was no longer used as the final runner.

The Central American Championships in 1950 were held in Guatemala City . McKenley lost to Cuban Rafael Fortun in 10.4 seconds. McKenley won over 200 meters in wind-assisted 20.9 seconds ahead of Fortún and Lloyd LaBeach. McKenley won over 400 meters in 47.8 seconds ahead of George Rhoden. Together with Rhoden, he finished second behind Cuba in the 4 x 100 meter relay in 41.6 seconds. At the Pan American Games in Buenos Aires in 1951 , McKenley won three bronze medals. Over 100 and 200 meters, he was defeated by Rafael Fortún and the American Arthur Bragg. Mal Whitfield and Hugo Maiocco won the 400 meter course .

At the Olympic Games in Helsinki in 1952 McKenley won the silver medal in the 100-meter run behind the American Lindy Remigino and ahead of the British McDonald Bailey , the first four runners were all hand-stopped in 10.4 seconds. In 1950, George Rhoden replaced McKenley as the world record holder over 400 meters. In the final, Wint started very quickly, Rhoden and McKenley followed; after Wint broke into the home stretch, Rhoden won just ahead of McKenley, with 45.9 seconds given for both runners. In the season, Wint, Leslie Laing , McKenley and Rhoden fought a close battle with the US relay. McKenley ran his third section in 44.8 seconds, which was then considered unattainable, with a flying start and overtook Charles Moore , Rhoden was then able to defend the lead against Whitfield. The Jamaican relay set a world record with 3: 03.9 minutes.

McKenley was 1.85 m tall and weighed 72 kg during his playing days. He coached the Jamaican team from 1954 to 1973. McKenley was President of the Jamaican Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) and a member of numerous committees of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) for 12 years .

In 2004 he was honored with the Order of Merit , the third highest order in Jamaica.

Top performances

• 100 m: 10.3 s, 1949
• 200 m: 20.8 s, 1959
• 400 m: 45.9 s

literature

• Manfred Holzhausen: world records and world record holder. 400m run. 4x100m relay. 4x400m (440y) relay. Grevenbroich 2001

Web links

• World record breaker Herb McKenley passes away at 85 ( memento from November 29, 2007 in the Internet Archive ), obituary on the IAAF website, November 27, 2007
• Herb McKenley in the Sports-Reference database (English; archived from the original )

Footnotes

1. ↑ Reuters : Jamaican Olympic champion McKenley dies aged 85 . November 27, 2007
2. ↑ 146 receive Nat'l Honors ( Memento of the original from June 11, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Jamaica Gleaner October 19, 2004. Retrieved October 13, 2011.