“RIP”: Track and Field Community Mourns the Passing of Olympic Champion at 97

The last surviving member of the Golden Quartet from the Helsinki Games (1952), the second Jamaican to win a gold medal in track and field after 400m Olympic gold medalist Arthur Wint, the Morgan State Bear that shattered the 400m world record in 1950, George Rhoden passed away at 97. It was as if the world was preparing for a legend to emerge, but a truly painful disappointment restricted the quarter-miler from a gold win in the London Games.

Arthur Wint, Leslie Laing, Herb McKenley, and George Rhoden entered the London Games with hopes of defeating the mighty Americans, and they were, in fact, best positioned to do so. After all, they had Wint coming off an Olympic high, winning the 400m in a time of 46.2 seconds which equaled the then-WR and a silver in the 800m. Wint’s muscle injury in the third leg of the race meant it was all over for the Jamaicans, leaving Rhoden’s only chance at an Olympic medal high and dry. In the next edition of the Games, the same quartet returned — or shall we add, returned to take what was rightfully theirs.

Americans and Jamaicans were the clear favorites to win. Heats and semis were a breeze for these contenders. In the finals, Americans temporarily had a slight advantage in the first two legs. Wint, who ran the first leg this time, fell a tad short against Ollie Matson — a time difference that only lengthened with USA’s Gene Cole outpacing Laing by a considerable 10m margin at the halfway mark!

McKenley ran a clinical leg that day — wrapping up his lap in just 44.6 seconds, a mighty 1.7 seconds faster than Charles Moore. This gave the Jamaicans the necessary edge but it would have meant next to nothing if Rhoden wouldn’t deliver. He was running against Mal Whitfield and it came down to the narrowest of margins.

Whitfield, who finished sixth in the individual 400m event, ran toe to toe with Rhoden, only Rhoden wasn’t settling. Ahead by just 0.1 seconds — that’s all it came down to — and Jamaicans were announced not just as the winners, but the ones to shatter the WR by a thick margin of 4.3 seconds! other members of that mighty squad, Wint, McKenley, and Laing, have already died in 1992, 2007, and 2021, respectively.

As Owen M pointed out in his X post, “With the recent passing of George Rhoden, it now means that all the men’s track and field Olympic champions from the 1952 Helsinki Olympics are sadly no longer with us 🙏” Several enthusiasts of the sport took it to their social media to mark the occasion.

Born on December 13, 1926, the trailblazer’s career journey began around 1940. Rhoden attended Kingston Technical High School. It was not only the Olympic success that defined the sprinter. On August 22, 1950, he shattered the world record in the 400m, with 45.8s in Eskilstuna, Sweden. From 1950 to 52, he was a part of the Morgan State Bears track and field team, where he was recruited by an American scout who saw him competing in track meets at Sabina Park and Racecourse (National Heroes Park).

Under that banner of Morgan State, he won NCAA championships claiming 200m)and 400m) titles. Several AAU championship victories are registered in his name from 1949 to 51. His last major victory came at the 1954 CAC Games. He won four medals: silver in the 400m and 800m, and gold in the 4x100m and 4x400m. Having said all that, his legacy is not limited to track and field only.

Later in life, Rhoden shifted to San Francisco, where he contributed as an educator and mentor. He has taught physical education and coached track and field at Howard University and the University of the District of Columbia. He also served as the president of the Jamaican Amateur Athletic Association and was a member of the International Olympic Committee. George Rhoden leaves behind his family, friends, and an ever-grateful nation that has given rise to Stalwarts like Usain Bolt, Shell-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and many others, moving on. Jamaican Olympian Vilma Charlton does not miss his influence.

Charlton said that Jamaican youth, at one point, were mostly unaware of the Rhoden’s standing in the Jamaican track and field scenario. According to him, they often had this impression that it all started in 2008 in Beijing, the year marked by the stunning Olympic success of Usain Bolt winning 3 gold medals (the sprint double and the 4×100 metres relay). Shelly-Ann Fraser and Veronica Campbell-Brown also won the 100 and 200 metres, respectively, on that occasion. But the 70-year old legacy that paved this path is getting attention only recently.

“One thing I’m happy about is that the newscasters are putting the ‘48 and ‘52 Olympics before the general public, so the youngsters have a feel of where we are coming from. They thought that the Olympics started in 2008 because that was such a successful year,” Charlton said Observer Online after Rhoden passed away. He still fondly remembers the occasion of Rhoden’s Olympic triumph.

“I can remember in 1952 when they won, Jamaica declared a national holiday. It’s the end of a chapter but he represents where we began and youngsters need to know that,” Charlton noted. The comments on social media proved that the enthusiasts, indeed, remember him fondly.

Fans remember a trailblazer who brought Jamaica up in world sprinting 

After the Paris Olympics, when the Jamaican track and field sphere is going through a subtle change, the loss of George Rhoden has made the fans go down memory lane. They cherished the sprinters from the 1950s who had once reigned over the athletic world. Remembering that legacy, one fan commented, “RIP to Jamaica’s second Olympic gold medalist, former 400m world record holder and member of Jamaica’s 4×4 world record.”

The lines showed the feathers in George Rhoden’s crown, and it is no less exciting. Meanwhile, one fan remembered the anchor leg Rhoden had run in the 4x400m relay final at the Helsinki Olympics. “Thank you, George Rhoden. You have run a great leg. RIP.” Those performances helped him take the reins of the 400m globally. That regime was intact until his retirement. Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA), the top body looking after the sport recognized his legacy in their statement.

JAAA President Garth Gayle hailed Rhoden as “a dependable team member”. “His performances in 1952 will always be remembered as they laid the groundwork for the strong track and field nation we are today,” Gayle noted, calling him the “building blocks of our sport.” Adding to that, a follower jotted, “The great George Rhoden. May his soul rest in peace.” Reactions also came from the topmost level of the country as well.

“There is no doubt that Vincent George Rhoden played his part in paving the way for future generations of Jamaican track athletes, who have certainly not let him down,” said Minister of Sport Olivia Grange. Opposition Spokesperson on Sports, Wavell Hinds, also chimed in.

“George Rhoden’s impact on Jamaican athletics cannot be overstated. He was a trailblazer, achieving greatness at a time when opportunities for athletes from small nations like ours were limited,” Opposition Spokesperson on Sports, Wavell Hinds expressed. Hinds also called on the future generation to carry the legacy forward.

With all those garlands and memories, it was time to say goodbye to the athletic hero from Kingston, Jamaica. That mood elevated a comment, “RIP stalwart. Sincere condolences to his family.” His life was the story of track and field athletes. It will remain so in the following days.