Carlton Chambers facts for kids
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's athletics | ||
Representing  Canada |
||
| Olympic Games | ||
| Gold | 1996 Atlanta | 4x100 m relay |
Carlton Chambers (born June 27, 1975) is a Canadian sprint athlete who is now retired. He won a gold medal in the 4 × 100 metre relay at the 1996 Summer Olympics. Carlton ran in the early races (called "heats") for the relay team. However, a groin injury kept him from running in the final race. His teammates, Robert Esmie, Glenroy Gilbert, Bruny Surin, and Donovan Bailey, went on to win the gold medal for Canada. Carlton's fastest time in the 100 metres was 10.19 seconds.
Contents
Becoming a Sprinter
Carlton Chambers started running track in September 1990. He was in grade nine at Ascension of our Lord Catholic Secondary School in Malton, Ontario. Even though he was 15, he competed against older junior boys. He didn't have much coaching or training at first.
In June 1991, Carlton won a silver medal in the 100m race at the O.F.S.A.A. This stands for the Ontario Federation of Schools Athletic Association. It's a big competition for high school athletes in Ontario. He ran the race in 10.84 seconds.
Joining a Track Club
After that race, Mark Guthrie, a coach from the Brampton Track Club, asked Carlton to join his team. Carlton didn't go to many practices until May 1992. That year, he still relied on his natural speed more than his training. He won the junior boys 100m race at O.F.S.A.A. in 10.99 seconds. Coach Guthrie knew he had found a very talented runner.
From then on, Carlton trained more often. He had a lot of success at other track meets. In 1993, a teachers' strike meant his school couldn't send athletes to O.F.S.A.A. This stopped him from competing that year.
Setting Records
The next year, Carlton trained hard during the indoor season. He won a gold medal in the 60m race at a high school event at York University. He ran a very fast 10.2 seconds in a city track meet.
At the O.F.S.A.A. competition, Carlton was ranked number one in the province. The 100m record there was once held by famous Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson. Later, Robert Esmie broke that record. In a qualifying race, Carlton ran 10.41 seconds. In the final, he won the O.F.S.A.A. Gold medal with a time of 10.27 seconds.
College and International Races
After high school, Carlton Chambers received a full scholarship to Clemson University in the United States. He joined their track team.
World Juniors and Commonwealth Games
In the summer of 1994, Carlton won a silver medal at the Canadian Juniors competition. This allowed him to go to the World Juniors in Portugal. There, he set a new Canadian Junior record! He ran the 100m in 10.30 seconds, breaking a 16-year-old record. He finished 5th in the race.
Carlton also got his first experience in international relay races. The Canadian Junior 4 × 100m team, which included Carlton, won a bronze medal. Later that same summer, he was chosen to run in the Commonwealth Games. He ran the third part of the 4 × 100m relay. He passed the baton to Bruny Surin, and they won the gold medal!
NCAA Championships
After two years at Clemson, Carlton competed in the 1996 NCAA championships. The NCAA is where college athletes compete in the United States. He finished fourth in the 100m race with a time of 10.19 seconds. The winner of that race, Ato Boldon, later won a bronze medal at the 1996 Olympic Games.
1996 Atlanta Olympics
At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Carlton Chambers ran in the early races for the 4 × 100m relay team. However, he got a groin injury while running the 200m race. Because of this, he couldn't run in the final.
His teammate, Robert Esmie, took his place in the final. The Canadian team, with Robert Esmie, Glenroy Gilbert, Bruny Surin, and Donovan Bailey, won the gold medal! They finished in an amazing 37.69 seconds, beating the United States team. This also set a new Canadian national record for the event.
In 2008, Carlton Chambers and his 4 × 100m relay teammates from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics were honored. They were inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame for their incredible achievement.
