National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago remembers athlete Hasley Crawford

Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago: National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago has recently remembered the achievements and accomplishments of Hasley Crawford, who won the 100-metre finals at the Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada. This victory made him Trinidad and Tobago’s first Olympic gold medalist and the first Caribbean athlete in Olympic history to win the 100 m race.

He was remembered on July 24, 1976, because on this day, he secured the victory.

Crawford was born on August 16, 1950, in San Fernando, where he discovered his talent for running after regularly competing against his peers. He attended San Fernando Boys RC, ASJA Boys’ College and San Fernando Technical Institute, after which he was accepted as a special apprentice by the Texaco Oil Company. Throughout these years, his athletic career gained momentum.

In 1970, he made his international debut at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Panama, where he finished fifth in the 100m finals. Later that year, he won a bronze medal in the 100m finals at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland, according to the post by the National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago.

Due to this, he was awarded an athletic scholarship to Eastern Michigan University in the US. While attending the university, he competed on their athletic team and, in 1972, ran a personal best of 9.4 seconds in a 100m dash.

At age 21, he was selected to represent Trinidad and Tobago at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Germany. He qualified for the 100m Olympic finals in 1972 but was unable to finish the race due to a leg injury. Nevertheless, he became regarded as one of “the top eight fastest people in the world” for making it to the Olympic finals.

Crawford recovered from his injury and continued to train in the sport until 1976, when he made history by winning the 100m finals at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montréal, Canada. He became known as the “world’s fastest human”, and his victory was celebrated around the world, but especially in Trinidad and Tobago, where he was welcomed by crowds of supporters upon his return.

It further informed that during his four-year reign as 100m Olympic champion, postage stamps featuring Crawford were made in his honour. In 1978, he was also awarded the highest national award—The Trinity Cross—later renamed the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

In 1996, the National Stadium in Port of Spain was officially renamed the Hasely Crawford Stadium in his honour.