georgetown, guyana, cmc

CARICOM Secretary-General Edwin Carrington has praised the late track and field icon Herb McKenley for his dedication of quality time and personal resources to the benefit of countless youths in his native Jamaica.

McKenley, a two-time 400m and one-time 100m individual Olympic silver medallist, passed away on Monday, November 26, after a long illness, at the age of 85. His body was interred at National Heroes Park in the Jamaica capital last Saturday.

"Prime among his many achievements, it is the view of many that by far Herb McKenley's most significant contribution was in the area of youth development," Carrington said in a news release.

Carrington noted that McKenley made significant contributions to the development of sport in Jamaica throughout his 10 years as president of the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association.

"During his tenure, critical foundations were laid for the rise of Jamaica as the powerhouse of track and field in the region and in the world, which we are now witnessing," Carrington said.

McKenley held several world records for the 400 metres and 400 yards. On July 2, 1948, he became the first man to run the 400 metres under 46 seconds when he clocked a hand-timed 45.9 in Milwaukee, United States.