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The first real star of Champs was the first PNP president, Norman Manley, who was not only one of the first from Champs to contest the first elections in 1944, but also the first captain of a school track team (in 1911) and his total domination of the first three Champs (1910-1912) is legendary and remains unsurpassed.
Interestingly, except for his only success in the 120 yards hurdles and four second places in his other four events -- the 100 yards, 440 yards, 880 yards and long jump in 1910 -- Manley's athletic beginning with JC at Champs became a sort of precursor to the genesis of his political career 34 years later when both he and his party were unsuccessful participants in the first contest under adult suffrage. But that performance was still quite enough for him to be crowned the first Class One champion with 11 of JC's 30.4 points for second place behind Wolmer's. Of particular interest, too, is the fact that in the long jump, Manley had actually beaten into third place a Wolmerian named...CA Bolt!
In the second Champs of 1911, Manley swept the 100, 220, 440 and 880 yards and the 120 hurdles and was again second in the long jump. He was Class One champion with 17 of JC's winning 33 points and his record run of 10 seconds flat in the 100 yards, which was equalled by five individuals, including his son, Douglas, stood for an incredible 41 years until it was broken by JC's Frank Hall in 1952. In his third and final Champs in 1912, the day before his 19th birthday, Manley captured all of the six events he entered -- 100, 220, 440, 120 hurdles, long jump and high jump and again the Class One champion with 18 of JC's victorious 33 points. In all three Champs, Norman Manley had contested 17 events, won 12 (71 %), finished second in the other five and set a trend which has never quite been equalled in 100 years of Champs. That trend was also carried over into a most distinguished political life, especially his seven years as national leader (1955-62) and over 30 years as a statesman.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...#ixzz2O8jULVaH
Interestingly, except for his only success in the 120 yards hurdles and four second places in his other four events -- the 100 yards, 440 yards, 880 yards and long jump in 1910 -- Manley's athletic beginning with JC at Champs became a sort of precursor to the genesis of his political career 34 years later when both he and his party were unsuccessful participants in the first contest under adult suffrage. But that performance was still quite enough for him to be crowned the first Class One champion with 11 of JC's 30.4 points for second place behind Wolmer's. Of particular interest, too, is the fact that in the long jump, Manley had actually beaten into third place a Wolmerian named...CA Bolt!
In the second Champs of 1911, Manley swept the 100, 220, 440 and 880 yards and the 120 hurdles and was again second in the long jump. He was Class One champion with 17 of JC's winning 33 points and his record run of 10 seconds flat in the 100 yards, which was equalled by five individuals, including his son, Douglas, stood for an incredible 41 years until it was broken by JC's Frank Hall in 1952. In his third and final Champs in 1912, the day before his 19th birthday, Manley captured all of the six events he entered -- 100, 220, 440, 120 hurdles, long jump and high jump and again the Class One champion with 18 of JC's victorious 33 points. In all three Champs, Norman Manley had contested 17 events, won 12 (71 %), finished second in the other five and set a trend which has never quite been equalled in 100 years of Champs. That trend was also carried over into a most distinguished political life, especially his seven years as national leader (1955-62) and over 30 years as a statesman.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...#ixzz2O8jULVaH
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