British West Indies at the 1960 Summer Olympics facts for kids

Quick facts for kids British West Indies at the 1960 Summer Olympics
Flag of the West Indies Federation
IOC code	BWI (ANT used at these Games)
NOC	West Indies Olympic Association
in Rome
Competitors	13 in 5 sports
Medals Ranked 147th	Gold Silver Bronze Total 0 0 2 2
Other related appearances
Jamaica (1948–1956, 1964–)  Trinidad and Tobago (1948–1956, 1964–)  Barbados (1968–)

The West Indies Federation was a group of islands in the Caribbean that were once under British rule. In 1960, athletes from these islands joined together to compete as one team at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy. This team was first called Antilles but the Olympic committee changed their name to British West Indies (BWI).

Thirteen athletes, all men, took part in 13 events across five different sports. These athletes came from Barbados (two), Trinidad and Tobago (four), and Jamaica (seven). This was the only time the West Indies Federation competed as a single team. After these Games, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago started competing on their own again in 1964. Barbados began competing independently in 1968. The team won two bronze medals, both in track and field events.

West Indies at the Olympics

How many medals did they win?

The West Indies Federation team won two bronze medals at the 1960 Summer Olympics. They did not win any gold or silver medals. This placed them 39th on the medal table for those Games.

Games	Athletes	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total	Rank
1960 Rome	13	0	0	2	2	39
Total		0	0	2	2	148

Which sports won medals?

Both bronze medals won by the West Indies Federation were in Athletics (track and field).

Who were the medal winners?

Two bronze medals were won by athletes from the West Indies Federation. Both medals were in athletics.

Medal	Name	Sport	Event	Date
3 Bronze	George Kerr (JAM)	Athletics	Men's 800 metres	September 2
3 Bronze	George Kerr (JAM)  Jim Wedderburn (BAR)  Keith Gardner (JAM)  Malcolm Spence (JAM)	Athletics	Men's 4×400 metre relay	September 8

Sports and results

The West Indies Federation competed in five sports at the 1960 Olympics: athletics, cycling, sailing, shooting, and weightlifting.

Athletics

Athletics was the most successful sport for the team. George Kerr from Jamaica won a bronze medal in the men's 800 metres race. He also helped the 4x400 metre relay team win another bronze medal. The relay team included George Kerr, James Wedderburn (from Barbados), Keith Gardner (from Jamaica), and Malcolm Spence (from Jamaica).

Other notable performances in athletics included:

• Keith Gardner finished 5th in the men's 110 metre hurdles.
• Dennis Johnson reached the semi-finals in the men's 200 metres.
• Paul Foreman competed in the men's long jump, finishing 12th.

Cycling

Clyde Rimple was the only cyclist for the team. He competed in three events: the individual road race, sprint, and 1000m time trial. He did not finish the road race and did not advance past the early rounds in the sprint. In the time trial, he finished 23rd.

Sailing

In sailing, Richard John Bennett and Gerald Bird competed in the Flying Dutchman class. They finished in 30th place.

Shooting

Two athletes competed in shooting: Tony Bridge and Keith De Casseres. They both took part in the 50 metre free pistol event. Tony Bridge did not advance from the qualification round, and Keith De Casseres retired from the event.

Weightlifting

Grantley Sobers competed in weightlifting in the bantamweight category (for athletes weighing up to 57 kg). He finished in 10th place overall.

Images for kids

• George Kerr (athlete).jpg

  George Kerr won two bronze medals for the West Indies Federation.

See also

In Spanish: Federación de las Indias Occidentales en los Juegos Olímpicos de Roma 1960 para niños