Hasely Crawford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Hasely Crawford

Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Trinidad and Tobago
Olympic Games
Gold	1976 Montreal	100 m
Pan American Games
Silver	1975 Mexico City	100 m
Commonwealth Games
Silver	1978 Edmonton	4 × 100 m
Bronze	1970 Edinburgh	100 m
Bronze	1978 Edmonton	100 m

Hasely Crawford finishing first in the 60-yard dash at the USA Indoor Track and Field Championships in 1975

Hasely Joachim Crawford is a famous former track and field athlete from Trinidad and Tobago. He made history in 1976 by becoming his country's very first Olympic champion. To honor his amazing achievement, the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain was named after him in 2001.

Hasely Crawford's Early Life and Start in Sports

Hasely Crawford was born on August 16, 1950, in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago. He was one of eleven children. He started getting serious about athletics when he was 17 years old.

Crawford quickly became a top sprinter in his home country. He won the Trinidad and Tobago 100 meters championship six times! He also won the 200-meter title in 1976. His first time competing internationally was in 1970. He won a bronze medal in the 100 meters at the Commonwealth Games. Just two years later, he reached the 100 meters final at the Munich Olympics. Sadly, he had to stop during the race because of a leg injury.

Hasely Crawford's Amazing Athletic Career

During his college years, Hasely Crawford ran for Eastern Michigan University. His coach, Bob Parks, helped him prepare for big races.

Winning Olympic Gold in 1976

In 1975, Crawford was the runner-up in the 100 meters at the 1975 Pan American Games. His coach had a special plan for the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. Crawford only ran in a few races that season to save his energy. This plan worked perfectly!

In the 100 meters final, Crawford was in lane 1. He ran an incredible race, winning in 10.06 seconds. He was just 0.02 seconds faster than Don Quarrie from Jamaica. This victory was huge for Trinidad and Tobago. It was their first-ever Olympic gold medal! Crawford also made it to the 200 meters final, but he had to pull out because of another injury.

Life After the Olympics

After his Olympic win, Hasely Crawford continued to succeed. He won the 100 meters at the Central American and Caribbean Championships in 1977. When he returned home, he was a national hero. A jet and a stadium were named after him! He even appeared on postage stamps. In 1978, he received Trinidad and Tobago's highest honor, the Trinity Cross. This award is now called the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

Crawford competed in four Olympic Games in total. He also represented Trinidad and Tobago in the Moscow and Los Angeles Olympics. However, he didn't reach another final in those games. His last international medals were in 1978 at the 1978 Commonwealth Games. He won a bronze in the 100 meters and a silver in the 4 × 100 meters relay. In 2000, he was named the Trinidad & Tobago Athlete of the Millennium. He is also a member of the Caribbean Hall of Fame.

Hasely Crawford's Best Race Times

• 50 meters: 5.78 seconds (indoors, February 1979, Ottawa)
• 100 meters: 10.06 seconds (July 1976, Montreal)
• 200 meters: 20.93 seconds (June 1977, London)

Hasely Crawford's International Competitions

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing  Trinidad and Tobago
1970	Central American and Caribbean Games	Panama City, Panama	5th	100 m	10.6
			5th	4 × 100 m relay	41.6
	Commonwealth Games	Edinburgh, United Kingdom	3rd	100 m	10.33
			6th	4 × 100 m relay	40.3
1972	Olympic Games	Munich, West Germany	5th (sf)	100 m	10.361
1975	Pan American Games	Mexico City, Mexico	2nd	100 m	10.21
			15th (h)	200 m	21.65
			5th	4 × 100 m relay	39.25
1976	Olympic Games	Montreal, Canada	1st	100 m	10.06
			8th	200 m	79.60
1977	Central American and Caribbean Championships	Xalapa, Mexico	1st	100 m	10.38
			2nd	4 × 100 m relay	40.16
1978	Central American and Caribbean Games	Medellín, Colombia	1st	4 × 100 m relay	39.13
	Commonwealth Games	Edmonton, Canada	3rd	100 m	10.09
			2nd	4 × 100 m relay	39.29
1979	Pan American Games	San Juan, Puerto Rico	7th	4 × 100 m relay	40.44
1980	Olympic Games	Moscow, Soviet Union	8th (qf)	100 m	10.28
			10th (h)	4 × 100 m relay	39.74
1982	Commonwealth Games	Brisbane, Australia	11th (sf)	100 m	10.40
1983	Pan American Games	Caracas, Venezuela	5th	4 × 100 m relay	39.40
1984	Olympic Games	Los Angeles, United States	18th (qf)	100 m	10.56

¹Did not finish in the final

See also

In Spanish: Hasely Crawford para niños