George Kerr (runner)

"George Kerr (athlete)" redirects here. For other sportspeople with this name, see George Kerr (disambiguation).

George Kerr

Personal information
Born	(1937-10-16) 16 October 1937 Hanover, Jamaica
Died	15 June 2012(2012-06-15) (aged 74) St. Andrew, Jamaica
Medal record Men's Athletics Representing  British West Indies (BWI) Olympic Games 1960 Rome 4×400 m relay 1960 Rome 800 metres Pan American Games 1959 Chicago 400 metres 1959 Chicago 4×400 m relay 1959 Chicago 800 metres Representing Jamaica Commonwealth Games 1962 Perth 440 yards 1962 Perth 4×440 yd relay 1962 Perth 880 yards 1958 Cardiff 4×440 yd relay 1966 Kingston 880 yards Central American and Caribbean Games 1962 Kingston 400 metres 1962 Kingston 800 metres 1962 Kingston 4×400 m relay

George Ezekiel Kerr (16 October 1937 – 15 June 2012) was a Jamaican athlete who competed in the 400 metres and 800 metres twice making the Olympic Games final in the latter event. He was born in Hanover Parish.

He competed for the British West Indies at the 1960 Summer Olympics held in Rome, Italy 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 x 400 metres.

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 400m and 800m at the Central American and Caribbean Games held at Kingston's National Stadium.

At the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, representing Jamaica, he finished fourth in the 800m and the 4 × 400 m relay. He broke the Olympic record for the 800m in the semi-finals but lost the bronze by less than one tenth of a second with 1:45.9, his fastest ever time.

Kerr also competed at three Commonwealth Games winning a total of five medals. At the 1958 Cardiff Games he won 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 at the 1962 Games in Perth, Australia. His final medal, a bronze for the 880 yards, came at the 1966 Games in Kingston, Jamaica.

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 Kerr and seven grand children.

External links

• Commonwealth Games results at GBRathletics.com
• sports-reference