Bert Cameron facts for kids
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| Nationality | Jamaican | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 16 November 1959 Spanish Town, Saint Catherine Parish |
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| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Running | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | 400 meters | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | UTEP Miners | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Bertland "Bert" Cameron (born 16 November 1959) is a famous retired Jamaican sprinter. He was best known for competing in the 400 metres race. Bert represented Jamaica in three Summer Olympics in a row. He made history by winning the 400 m title at the very first World Championships in Athletics.
Bert also won the 1982 Commonwealth Games in the 400 m event. He earned many gold medals at other big competitions in his region. He also helped the Jamaican team win a silver medal in the 4×400 metres relay at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Bert was chosen as the Jamaica Sportsperson of the year three times in a row, from 1981 to 1983. He even carried the Jamaican flag at the opening ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympics! Today, he works as a coach in Jamaica.
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Bert Cameron's Running Journey
Bert Cameron was born in Spanish Town, Saint Catherine Parish, Jamaica. He started his international career at the 1978 Commonwealth Games. There, he helped Jamaica win a silver medal in the 4 x 400 m relay race. This was a great start for the young athlete.
Soon after, he went to his first Olympic Games. He reached the quarter-finals in the 400 m race. Bert also ran in the relay event. He later moved to the United States to study. He received a sports scholarship to attend college. While there, he won two major college titles in the 400 m. He won both the indoor and outdoor NCAA championships in 1980 and 1981. He won a third outdoor title in 1983 for the UTEP Miners team.
Big Wins and Challenges
In 1981, Bert represented the Americas at the 1981 IAAF World Cup. He won a bronze medal in both the individual 400 m and the relay races. He returned to the Commonwealth Games in 1982. This time, he became the champion in the 400 m event.
A huge moment for Bert came in 1983. He won the 400 m race at the very first World Championships. This made him a world champion! The next year, at the 1984 Summer Olympics, he had a strong semi-final race. But halfway through, he got a muscle injury in his leg. In an amazing comeback, he managed to start running again. He even qualified for the final! Sadly, his injury was too bad, and he could not compete in the final race.
Bert competed at the 1987 World Championships in Athletics. He didn't win his title again, getting eliminated in the semi-finals. However, he helped the Jamaican relay team finish sixth in the final. Four years after his injury, he ran at the 1988 Summer Olympics. This time, he helped his team win a silver medal in the 4 x 400 metres relay.
Regional Success and Coaching
Besides his global competitions, Bert also did very well in regional events. He won the 400 m at the 1981 Central American and Caribbean Championships. He then won another gold medal at the 1982 CAC Games. In 1985, he won a silver medal at the CAC Championships. At the 1987 Pan American Games, he won another silver medal.
After he stopped running professionally, Bert became a coach in Kingston, Jamaica. He coached Jermaine Gonzales, who broke the Jamaican record for the 400 m in 2010. Bert decided to work with Gonzales as part of Glen Mills' Racers Track Club that same year.
See also
In Spanish: Bert Cameron para niños
