Carlton Chambers facts for kids
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's athletics | ||
Representing  Canada |
||
| Olympic Games | ||
| Gold | 1996 Atlanta | 4 × 100 m relay |
Carlton Chambers (born June 27, 1975) is a retired Canadian sprint athlete. He won a gold medal in the 4 × 100 meter relay at the 1996 Summer Olympics. Carlton ran in the early races, called preliminary heats. However, an injury kept him from running in the final race. His teammates Robert Esmie, Glenroy Gilbert, Bruny Surin, and Donovan Bailey won the gold. Carlton's fastest time in the 100 metres was 10.19 seconds.
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Carlton's Early Running Days
Carlton Chambers started running track in September 1990. He was in grade nine at Ascension of our Lord Catholic Secondary School in Malton. Even though he was 15, he competed as a junior, which was a higher age group. With very little training, Carlton ran the 100 meters in 10.84 seconds. He won a silver medal at the O.F.S.A.A. (Ontario Federation of Schools Athletic Association) in June 1991.
Joining a Track Club
That year, Mark Guthrie from the Brampton Track Club asked Carlton to join. Carlton was 5'6" tall. He didn't go to many practices until May 1992. Still, he won the junior boys 100 meters at O.F.S.A.A. with a time of 10.99 seconds. Mark Guthrie knew Carlton had a special talent.
Training and High School Success
After that, Carlton trained more often. He had a lot of success at O.T.F.A. (Ontario Track and Field Association) meets. In 1993, a school strike stopped him from competing at O.F.S.A.A. The next indoor season, Carlton trained hard. He won a gold medal in the 60 meters at a high school event at York University.
Carlton ran a very fast 10.41 seconds in a qualifying race at O.F.S.A.A. The 100-meter record there was 10.55 seconds, set by Ben Johnson. Later, Robert Esmie broke it with 10.50 seconds. In the final race, Carlton Chambers won the O.F.S.A.A. Gold medal. His winning time was 10.27 seconds.
Running in College: NCAA
After high school, Carlton Chambers went to Clemson University. He received a full scholarship to run track there.
International Races and Records
In the summer of 1994, Carlton won a silver medal at the Canadian Juniors. This allowed him to go to the World Juniors in Portugal. There, he set a new Canadian Junior record. He ran 10.30 seconds, breaking a 16-year-old record. He finished 5th in the race.
Carlton also got his first international relay experience. He was part of the Canadian Junior 4 × 100 meter team. The team, including Carlton, Eric Frempong, Dave Tomlin, and Chris Robinson, won a bronze medal. That same summer, he ran the third part of the Commonwealth 4 × 100 meter relay. He passed the baton to Bruny Surin, and they won the gold medal.
After two years at Clemson, Carlton competed in the 1996 NCAA championships. He finished fourth in the 100 meters with a time of 10.19 seconds. Ato Boldon from UCLA won that race. Ato Boldon later won a bronze medal in the 100 meters at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.
Olympic Gold Medal Moment
At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Carlton Chambers ran in the early heats of the 4 × 100 meter relay. Before the final race, Carlton had a groin injury. Because of this, 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 37.69 seconds, beating the United States. This was also a new national record for Canada.
In 2008, Carlton Chambers and his 1996 Olympic 4 × 100 meter relay teammates were honored. They were inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.
