Leslie Laing
Jamaican sprinter (1925–2021)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Leslie Alphonso "Les" Laing (19 February 1925 – 7 February 2021) was a Jamaican athlete and a winner of gold medal in 4 × 400 m relay at the 1952 Summer Olympics.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Jamaican |
| Born | 19 February 1925 Linstead, Saint Catherine, Jamaica |
| Died | 7 February 2021 in (aged 95) Clermont, Florida, USA |
| Height | 164 cm (5 ft 5 in) |
| Weight | 55 kg (121 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
Event | Sprints |
| Club | Polytechnic Harriers |
Biography
Born in Linstead, Jamaica, Laing previously competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics, where he finished sixth in 200 m and was eliminated in the heats of 100 m. He probably missed a medal when Arthur Wint pulled a muscle in the 4 × 400 m relay final.[1]
Laing finished second behind McDonald Bailey in both the 100 yards[2][3] and 220 yards events at the British 1949 AAA Championships.[4][5]
At the Helsinki Olympics, Laing was fifth in the 200 m and ran the second leg in the Jamaican 4 × 400 m relay team, which won the gold medal with a new world record of 3:03.9.[6]
Laing was an All-American sprinter for the Fresno State Bulldogs track and field team, finishing 3rd in the 100 m and 200 m at the 1953 NCAA track and field championships.[7][8]
Laing married Fresno State classmate Carmen Phipps in August 1953.[9] In 2005 he was inducted into the Central American and Caribbean Confederation Hall of Fame.[10] He died twelve days short of his 96th birthday.
Competition record
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  Jamaica | |||||
| 1948 | Olympic Gamess | London, United Kingdom | 24th (h) | 100 m | 11.0 |
| 6th | 200 m | 22.02 | |||
| 2nd (h) | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:14.01 | |||
| 1950 | Central American and Caribbean Games | Guatemala City, Guatemala | 2nd | 4 × 100 m relay | 41.6 |
| 3rd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:19.0 | |||
| 1952 | Olympic Games | Helsinki, Finland | 5th | 200 m | 21.45 |
| 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:04.04 | |||
| 1954 | Central American and Caribbean Games | Mexico City, Mexico | 2nd | 100 m | 10.66 |
| 1st | 200 m | 21.66 | |||
| 1st | 4 × 100 m relay | 41.06 | |||
| 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:12.25 | |||
| British Empire and Commonwealth Games | Vancouver, Canada | 25th (h) | 100 y | 10.4 | |
| 15th (h) | 220 y | 22.9 | |||
| 6th | 4 × 110 y relay | NT | |||
| 6th | 4 × 440 y relay | 3:19.0 | |||
1Did not finish in the final
