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Harry Jerome
(1940-1983)
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Canada has a long proud history in international Athletics. One of the most outstanding athletes ever to represent Canada was Harry Jerome.
Born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, he moved to Vancouver at age 12. While in high school, his tremendous potential was shown when at age 18 he broke Percy Williams 31 year old record in the 220-yard sprint. His efforts led him to the University of Oregon on an athletic scholarship, and his first world record, when he was timed at 10 seconds flat for the 100 metres.
Injuries began to play a prominent role in his career, when, at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, he pulled a muscle in the heats and failed to qualify for the one- hundred yard dash. At the Commonwealth Games in 1962 misfortune again struck when he tore a muscle in his left thigh. Out of sprinting for one year, many experts thought he would never run again.
The man whose motto was "never give up" proved the critics wrong by winning the Bronze medal at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. He followed that two years later, completing his amazing comeback by setting another world record in the 100 yard dash in a time of 9.1 seconds.
In 1966 Harry Jerome again confirmed his status as one of the world’s fastest humans when he struck gold at the Commonwealth Games.
The 1968 Olympics were Harry Jeromes’ final attempt for an Olympic medal, in the final of the 100 meters. It was not to be however, as he raced home two tenths of a second slower than the winner, who set a new world record time of 9.9 seconds. He finished seventh.
