Bert Cameron
Encyclopedia
Bertland Cameron (born 16 November 1959) is a retired Jamaica
n sprinter
who mainly competed over 400 metres
. He represented Jamaica at three consecutive editions of the Summer Olympics. Cameron won the 400 m title at the first World Championships in Athletics. He was also the 1978 Commonwealth Games
champion in the event and won a number of gold medals at regional competitions. He helped the Jamaican runners to a silver medal
in the 4×400 metres relay at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
He carried the Jamaican flag at the opening ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympics
in Los Angeles, California
. He was chosen as the Jamaica Sportsperson of the year three times consecutively form 1981 to 1983. He is currently a coach in Jamaica.
, Saint Catherine Parish, his first medal on the international stage came at the 1978 Commonwealth Games
, where he helped Jamaica to a 400 m relay silver medal
behind Kenya
. His first Olympic appearance soon followed and he reached the quarter-finals of the 400 m and also ran in the relay. He was schooled in the United States
on a sports scholarship and won both the NCAA 400 m titles indoors
and outdoors
in 1980 and 1981, and he went on to obtain a third outdoor title in 1983 for the UTEP Miners
.NCAA Division I Indoor Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2010-11-07.NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2010-11-07. Cameron represented the Americas at the 1981 IAAF World Cup
and came away with the bronze medal
in both the individual and relay events. He returned to the Commonwealth stage for the 1982 Games
and he became the 400 m champion.
Cameron won the 400 m at the inaugural World Championships in 1983
. He had a good run in the 1984 Olympic semi-final, but halfway through the race grabbed his leg as a result of picking up a muscle injury. However, in one of the great comebacks of all time he miraculously managed to start running again and qualified for the final. Unfortunately his injury was such that he was not able to take his place in the final. He competed at the 1987 World Championships in Athletics
but failed to defend his title, being eliminated in the semi-finals. He helped the Jamaican relay team to sixth place in the final. Four years after his injury-battling run, he ran at the 1988 Summer Olympics
and helped win a silver medal in 4 x 400 metres relay
.
Outside of his global appearances for Jamaica, he enjoyed success at regional level. He won the 400 m at the 1981 Central American and Caribbean Championships and followed this with another gold medal
at the 1982 CAC Games
. He returned to the CAC Championships in 1985 and won the silver medal behind Cuba's Roberto Hernández. At the 1987 Pan American Games
, he beat the Cuban but again left with the silver medal as Raymond Pierre
took the title.Pan American Games. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2010-11-07.
After retiring from running, he became a coach in Kingston, Jamaica
. He took on Jermaine Gonzales
and his charge broke the 400 m Jamaican record
in 2010. He decided to start working with Gonzales within Glen Mills
' Racers Track Club that year.Foster, Anthony (2010-10-31). Bert’s presence at Racers a big plus. Track Alerts. Retrieved on 2010-11-07.
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n sprinter
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
who mainly competed over 400 metres
400 metres
The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...
. He represented Jamaica at three consecutive editions of the Summer Olympics. Cameron won the 400 m title at the first World Championships in Athletics. He was also the 1978 Commonwealth Games
1978 Commonwealth Games
The 1978 Commonwealth Games were held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, from 3 to 12 August 1978, two years after the 1976 Summer Olympics were held in Montreal, Quebec...
champion in the event and won a number of gold medals at regional competitions. He helped the Jamaican runners to a silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
in the 4×400 metres relay at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
He carried the Jamaican flag at the opening ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. He was chosen as the Jamaica Sportsperson of the year three times consecutively form 1981 to 1983. He is currently a coach in Jamaica.
Career
Born in Spanish TownSpanish Town
Spanish Town is the capital and the largest town in the parish of St. Catherine in the county of Middlesex, Jamaica. It was the former Spanish and English capital of Jamaica from the 16th to the 19th century...
, Saint Catherine Parish, his first medal on the international stage came at the 1978 Commonwealth Games
Athletics at the 1978 Commonwealth Games
At the 1978 Commonwealth Games, the athletics events were held at the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Canada. A total of 38 events were contested, of which 23 by male and 15 by female athletes.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:Key:-References:...
, where he helped Jamaica to a 400 m relay silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
behind Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. His first Olympic appearance soon followed and he reached the quarter-finals of the 400 m and also ran in the relay. He was schooled in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on a sports scholarship and won both the NCAA 400 m titles indoors
NCAA Men's Indoor Track and Field Championship
NCAA team champions for Men's Indoor Track and Field-See also:*NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship*NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship*NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship*Pre-NCAA Indoor Track and Field Champions...
and outdoors
NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship
The NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship is an annual collegiate outdoor track and field competition for men organised by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. It has three divisions: Division I, II, and III. Athlete's individual performances earn points for their institution and...
in 1980 and 1981, and he went on to obtain a third outdoor title in 1983 for the UTEP Miners
UTEP Miners
The UTEP Miners is the name given to the sports teams of the University of Texas at El Paso. Informally, the UTEP Miners have also been referred to as the Miners, UTEP, or Texas-El Paso. UTEP was a member of the Western Athletic Conference from 1967 to 2005, when they joined Rice, Tulsa, and SMU in...
.NCAA Division I Indoor Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2010-11-07.NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2010-11-07. Cameron represented the Americas at the 1981 IAAF World Cup
1981 IAAF World Cup
The 3rd IAAF World Cup in Athletics was an international track and field sporting event sponsored by the International Association of Athletics Federations, held on September 4–6, 1981, at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy.-Men:|width="50"| ...
and came away with the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
in both the individual and relay events. He returned to the Commonwealth stage for the 1982 Games
Athletics at the 1982 Commonwealth Games
At the 1982 Commonwealth Games, the athletics events took place at the QE II Stadium in Brisbane, Australia from 3–9 October 1982. A total of 39 events were contested, 23 for men and 16 for women athletes.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:Key:...
and he became the 400 m champion.
Cameron won the 400 m at the inaugural World Championships in 1983
1983 World Championships in Athletics
The inaugural World Championships in Athletics were run under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations and were held at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland between August 7 and August 14, 1983....
. He had a good run in the 1984 Olympic semi-final, but halfway through the race grabbed his leg as a result of picking up a muscle injury. However, in one of the great comebacks of all time he miraculously managed to start running again and qualified for the final. Unfortunately his injury was such that he was not able to take his place in the final. He competed at the 1987 World Championships in Athletics
1987 World Championships in Athletics
The 2nd World Championships in Athletics under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations were held in the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy between August 28 and September 6, 1987.-Track:1983 | 1987 | 1991 | 1993 | 1995...
but failed to defend his title, being eliminated in the semi-finals. He helped the Jamaican relay team to sixth place in the final. Four years after his injury-battling run, he ran at the 1988 Summer Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
and helped win a silver medal in 4 x 400 metres relay
Relay race
During a relay race, members of a team take turns running, orienteering, swimming, cross-country skiing, biathlon, or ice skating parts of a circuit or performing a certain action. Relay races take the form of professional races and amateur games...
.
Outside of his global appearances for Jamaica, he enjoyed success at regional level. He won the 400 m at the 1981 Central American and Caribbean Championships and followed this with another gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
at the 1982 CAC Games
Athletics at the 1982 Central American and Caribbean Games
The athletics competition in the 1982 Central American and Caribbean Games were held in Havana, Cuba.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-References:* - GBR Athletics* - GBR Athletics...
. He returned to the CAC Championships in 1985 and won the silver medal behind Cuba's Roberto Hernández. At the 1987 Pan American Games
Athletics at the 1987 Pan American Games
The Athletics Competition at the 1987 Pan American Games was held in Indianapolis, United States. The events were competed at the IU Indianapolis Track and Soccer Stadium.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-References:*...
, he beat the Cuban but again left with the silver medal as Raymond Pierre
Raymond Pierre
Raymond Pierre is a former American track and field athlete, who competed in the sprinting events during his career. He is best known for winning the men's 400-meter dash event at the 1987 Pan American Games....
took the title.Pan American Games. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2010-11-07.
After retiring from running, he became a coach in Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
. He took on Jermaine Gonzales
Jermaine Gonzales
Jermaine Gonzales is a Jamaican 400 metres runner. He is currently being coached by Glen Mills and Bertland Cameron.He had a successful start to international athletics in the young age categories, taking the 400 m bronze at the 2001 World Youth Championships in Athletics and stepping up a...
and his charge broke the 400 m Jamaican record
Jamaican records in athletics
The following are the national records in athletics in Jamaica maintained by its national athletics federation: Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association .-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:+ = en route to a longer distanceA = affected by altitude...
in 2010. He decided to start working with Gonzales within Glen Mills
Glen Mills
Glen Mills C.D is a sprinting athletics coach from Jamaica. He was the head coach of the Jamaican Olympic athletics team between 1987 and 2009. He is currently head coach of the Racers Track Club which includes world and Olympic record holder Usain Bolt and the 100 metre World Champion Yohan Blake...
' Racers Track Club that year.Foster, Anthony (2010-10-31). Bert’s presence at Racers a big plus. Track Alerts. Retrieved on 2010-11-07.
Achievements
| Representing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Commonwealth Games 1978 Commonwealth Games The 1978 Commonwealth Games were held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, from 3 to 12 August 1978, two years after the 1976 Summer Olympics were held in Montreal, Quebec... |
Edmonton, Canada | 2nd | 4x400 m relay | |
| 1981 | Central American and Caribbean Championships | Santo Domingo Santo Domingo Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River... , Dominican Rep. Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries... |
1st | 400 m | |
| 1982 | Commonwealth Games 1982 Commonwealth Games The 1982 Commonwealth Games were held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia from 30 September–9 October 1982. The Opening Ceremony was held at the QEII Stadium , in the Brisbane suburb of Nathan. The QEII Stadium was also the venue which was used for the athletics and archery competitions during the... |
Brisbane, Australia | 1st | 400 m | |
| Central American and Caribbean Games Athletics at the 1982 Central American and Caribbean Games The athletics competition in the 1982 Central American and Caribbean Games were held in Havana, Cuba.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-References:* - GBR Athletics* - GBR Athletics... |
Havana Havana Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous... , Havana Havana Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous... |
1st | 400 m | ||
| 1983 | World Championships 1983 World Championships in Athletics The inaugural World Championships in Athletics were run under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations and were held at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland between August 7 and August 14, 1983.... |
Helsinki, Finland | 1st | 400 m | |
| 1985 | Central American and Caribbean Championships | Nassau Nassau, Bahamas Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas... , Bahamas |
2nd | 400 m | |
| 1987 | Pan American Games 1987 Pan American Games The 1987 Pan American Games, officially known as the X Pan American Games, was a major international multi-sport event which was celebrated in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, from 7 August to 23 August 1987. Over 4,300 athletes from 38 countries in the Americas competed in 30 sports earning... |
Indianapolis Indianapolis Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
2nd | 400 m | |
| 1988 | Olympic Games Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul a total number of 42 events in athletics were contested: 24 by men and 18 by women. There were a total number of 1617 participating athletes from 149 countries.-Men's events:... |
Seoul Seoul Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world... , South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... |
2nd | 4x400m relay | |