{"id":14080,"date":"2023-04-04T14:26:29","date_gmt":"2023-04-04T21:26:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ivancouver.net\/?p=14080"},"modified":"2024-11-19T23:17:15","modified_gmt":"2024-11-20T07:17:15","slug":"how-harry-jerome-became-the-fastest-man-in-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ivancouver.net\/en\/eternal-how-harry-jerome-became-the-fastest-man-in-the-world","title":{"rendered":"How Harry Jerome Became the Fastest Man in the World"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Sportsperson of the Century&#8221;\u2014this is how British Columbia hailed the renowned Canadian athlete Harry Jerome. For eight years, he held the title of &#8220;The Fastest Man in the World,&#8221; having set a world record for the 100-metre sprint with a time of 10 seconds in 1960. But why wasn\u2019t he awarded the title outright, and how did he confront racism during his career? More in the article from <a href=\"https:\/\/ivancouver.net\/en\"><em>ivancouver<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a33ff71abbb6\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a33ff71abbb6\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/ivancouver.net\/en\/eternal-how-harry-jerome-became-the-fastest-man-in-the-world\/#Childhood_of_the_Athlete\" >Childhood of the Athlete<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/ivancouver.net\/en\/eternal-how-harry-jerome-became-the-fastest-man-in-the-world\/#Early_Steps_in_Sports\" >Early Steps in Sports<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/ivancouver.net\/en\/eternal-how-harry-jerome-became-the-fastest-man-in-the-world\/#A_World_Record_That_Wasnt_Official\" >A World Record That Wasn\u2019t Official<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/ivancouver.net\/en\/eternal-how-harry-jerome-became-the-fastest-man-in-the-world\/#Competing_on_the_World_Stage\" >Competing on the World Stage<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/ivancouver.net\/en\/eternal-how-harry-jerome-became-the-fastest-man-in-the-world\/#Legacy_and_Recognition\" >Legacy and Recognition<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Childhood_of_the_Athlete\"><\/span>Childhood of the Athlete<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Harry Winston Jerome was born on September 30, 1940, in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. The eldest of five children, he grew up in a sports-oriented family. His grandfather, John Howard, was Canada\u2019s first Black Olympian, competing in the 1912 Summer Olympics. His sister, Valerie Jerome, also participated in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, running the women\u2019s 100-metre race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1151\" height=\"837\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ivancouver.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/11\/17084909\/image-44.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14081\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.ivancouver.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/11\/17084909\/image-44.png 1151w, https:\/\/cdn.ivancouver.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/11\/17084909\/image-44-300x218.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.ivancouver.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/11\/17084909\/image-44-768x558.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.ivancouver.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/11\/17084909\/image-44-696x506.png 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1151px) 100vw, 1151px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At age 12, Harry\u2019s family moved to Vancouver, where they encountered racial discrimination. Local residents resisted the family\u2019s efforts to purchase a home in their neighborhood, making it clear they were unwelcome as the only Black family in the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Early_Steps_in_Sports\"><\/span>Early Steps in Sports<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Harry excelled in various sports at school, including baseball, football, rugby, and hockey. However, despite his athletic talents, teams often refused to accept him because of his race. His greatest success came in running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 1959, while still in high school, Harry broke the Canadian record for the 220-yard sprint (approximately 200 metres), a record that had stood for 31 years and was previously held by Percy Williams. This accomplishment caught the attention of the University of Oregon, which offered him an athletic scholarship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ivancouver.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/11\/17084908\/image-45.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14084\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.ivancouver.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/11\/17084908\/image-45.png 800w, https:\/\/cdn.ivancouver.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/11\/17084908\/image-45-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.ivancouver.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/11\/17084908\/image-45-768x576.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.ivancouver.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/11\/17084908\/image-45-696x522.png 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_World_Record_That_Wasnt_Official\"><\/span>A World Record That Wasn\u2019t Official<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During his career, Jerome set seven world records. Among them was the 100-metre dash in 1960. At just 19 years old, he completed the distance in 9.9 seconds, breaking the existing world record of 10 seconds set by German sprinter Armin Hary. However, officials refused to accept such a result, rounding his time up to 10 seconds. This forced Jerome to share the title of &#8220;The Fastest Man in the World&#8221; with Harry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A year later, the Vancouverite set a world record for the 100-yard sprint, covering the distance in 9.3 seconds. This made him one of the few athletes to hold world records for both the 100-yard and 100-metre distances simultaneously. Two years later, he improved his 100-yard time to 9.2 seconds. In 1966, at the British Commonwealth Games in Jamaica, he ran it in 9.1 seconds, earning his first gold medal at a major international competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"518\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ivancouver.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/11\/17084907\/image-46.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14087\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.ivancouver.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/11\/17084907\/image-46.png 800w, https:\/\/cdn.ivancouver.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/11\/17084907\/image-46-300x194.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.ivancouver.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/11\/17084907\/image-46-768x497.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.ivancouver.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/11\/17084907\/image-46-696x451.png 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Competing_on_the_World_Stage\"><\/span>Competing on the World Stage<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Harry Jerome first competed in the Olympics in 1960, representing Canada alongside his sister Valerie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 1962, Jerome suffered a severe injury\u2014a torn quadriceps tendon in his left leg\u2014that could have ended his career. At the time, journalists speculated that Jerome was retiring from athletics. However, he not only recovered but returned to training and competition. In 1964, he ran 60 yards in six seconds at an indoor meet in Portland, setting a world record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Jerome won bronze in the 100-metre sprint. Two years later, at the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Jamaica, he took gold in the 100-yard dash. He claimed another victory at the 1967 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, winning gold in the 100-metre event. At the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, Jerome reached the finals but finished in seventh place. Shortly afterward, he retired from international competition. His final race was at the 1969 Canadian National Championships, where, at age 29, he defeated Canada\u2019s top sprinters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ivancouver.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/11\/17084905\/image-47.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14090\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.ivancouver.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/11\/17084905\/image-47.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.ivancouver.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/11\/17084905\/image-47-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.ivancouver.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/11\/17084905\/image-47-768x576.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.ivancouver.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/11\/17084905\/image-47-696x522.png 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Legacy_and_Recognition\"><\/span>Legacy and Recognition<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A bronze statue of Harry Jerome stands in Stanley Park, a lasting tribute to his legacy. The statue is located just a few hundred metres from where Jerome trained to set his world records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Harry Jerome\u2019s achievements and his perseverance in the face of racial discrimination continue to inspire Canadians and athletes worldwide. His story is a testament to resilience, determination, and the power of sport to break barriers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Sportsperson of the Century&#8221;\u2014this is how British Columbia hailed the renowned Canadian athlete Harry Jerome. For eight years, he held the title of &#8220;The Fastest Man in the World,&#8221; having set a world record for the 100-metre sprint with a time of 10 seconds in 1960. But why wasn\u2019t he awarded the title outright, and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":494,"featured_media":13095,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4820],"tags":[6169,6358,6364,6361,6360,6362,6359,6183,6357,6363],"motype":[4825],"moformat":[88],"moimportance":[31,32,35],"class_list":["post-14080","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sporty","tag-athlete","tag-athlete-biography","tag-athlete-from-british-columbia","tag-athlete-from-vancouver","tag-canadian-athlete","tag-canadian-running-record","tag-fastest-man-in-the-world","tag-sports-in-vancouver","tag-world-record","tag-world-running-record","motype-eternal","moformat-copywriting","moimportance-aktualna-bilshe-roku","moimportance-golovna-novyna","moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatory"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ivancouver.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14080","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ivancouver.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ivancouver.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ivancouver.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/494"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ivancouver.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14080"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ivancouver.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14080\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14093,"href":"https:\/\/ivancouver.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14080\/revisions\/14093"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ivancouver.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13095"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ivancouver.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14080"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ivancouver.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14080"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ivancouver.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14080"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ivancouver.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=14080"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ivancouver.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=14080"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ivancouver.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=14080"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}