Hasely Crawford

Hasely Joachim Crawford (born August 16, 1950) is a former athlete from Trinidad and Tobago. In 1976, he became the first Olympic champion of his country.

Biography

Born in San Fernando, Trinidad, Crawford started with athletics at age 17. He debuted internationally in 1970, winning a bronze medal in the 100 m at the Commonwealth Games. Only two years later, he surprisingly qualified for the final of the Olympics in Munich, although he did not finish - he injured his hamstring after 20 m. In 1975, Crawford was added to the team of American coach Bob Parks, who prepared Crawford excellently for the 100 m and 200 m events at the Montreal Olympics, running only a few races during the season. The tactics paid off, as Crawford won the 100 m, narrowly in front of Don Quarrie of Jamaica, winning Trinidad and Tobago's first Olympic gold medal. He had also qualified for the 200 m final, but pulled out due after injuring his groin. Hasely Crawford's last success was a bronze medal in the 1978 Commonwealth Games (100 m). He did also participate in the 1980 and 1984 Olympics, but didn't reach a final again. A national hero in his home country, Crawford has appeared on postage stamps and has an aeroplane and a sports stadium named after him.