Source: www.jamaicaobserver.com
A small gathering of Jamaica’s who’s who in track & field helped celebrate with six of the country’s top former athletes as they were inducted into the Central America and Caribbean (CAC) Hall of Fame at a function at the Hilton Kingston Hotel on Friday evening.
Olympic medallists Bert Cameron, Devon Morris and Winthrop Graham, who were members of Jamaica’s 4x400m silver medal-winning team at the 1988 Seoul Olympics; Barcelona 100m and 200m silver medallist Juliet Cuthbert; Rome Olympics bronze medallist George Kerr and 1984 4x100m relay silver medallist Raymond Stewart were joined by North America, Central America and Caribbean Athletic Confederation president Neville ‘Teddy’ McCook, Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) president Howard Aris, Olympians Vilma Charlton and Grace Jackson, and Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) president and guest speaker Mike Fennell.
Morris, who has lived outside of Jamaica for atleast of 20 years, told the Observer he was humbled when he received the call that he was to be made a Hall of Famer.
“When they told me about it I was really humbled and excited at the same time because I never dreamed of being inducted into the Caribbean Hall of Fame,” he said.
Morris’ 4x400m relay teammates Cameron and Graham were also pleased to be gathered in the same place at the same time.
“We were a pretty close knit team and we are still pretty close so it’s nice to see three of us getting it at the same time so it’s special,” Graham, who also won a silver medal in the 400m hurdles in Barcelona, said.
Stewart, who coaches World Championships 200m finalist and 4x100m relay silver medallist Marvin Anderson, said it was long in coming, but nice.
“It’s our time to be recognised because over the years we’ve done so much for ourselves and the country and it’s a good feeling,” he said.
Athletes must have retired from competition for at least five years, have competed in at least one CAC Championships or CAC Games and have been a medallist in either an Olympics or World Championships to be inducted into the CAC Hall of Fame, federation president Victor Lopez told the Observer.
Helsinki Olympics 4x400m gold medallists Herb McKenley, George Rhoden and Arthur Wint; 1976 Montreal 200m champion Donald Quarrie; 1988 Seoul Olympics 200m silver medallist Grace Jackson and statistician Richard Ashenheim, who died late last year, have also been inducted into the CAC Hall of Fame and Lopez said the strong history of athletics in Jamaica is something the entire Caribbean looks upon with awe.
“The tradition is something that every country in the Caribbean would like to emulate and its amazing because cricket and football is very strong here, but no matter what the glory and the fame has come from athletics,” he said
Meanwhile, Jackson, herself a Hall of Fame inductee, collected the CAC 2007 Athlete of the Year medal on behalf of 100m world record holder Asafa Powell, who was not present at Friday evening’s function.
