View source for 1965 British West Indies Championships

The '''1965 [[British West Indies Championships]]''' was the sixth and final edition of the [[track and field]] competition between British colony nations in the Caribbean. It was held in [[Bridgetown, Barbados]]. The dissolution of the [[West Indies Federation]], and the broader sports co-operation it had engendered, left the competition without the support to continue.  A total of 28 events were contested, eighteen by men and ten by women. The men's [[half marathon]], [[pole vault]] and [[relay races]] were all revived for this final edition, although the [[3000 metres steeplechase]] was dropped. Jamaica was the most successful nation, taking seventeen of the titles on offer – it was Jamaica's fourth win at the competition and the only time a host nation did not top the medal table.<ref name=GBR>[http://www.gbrathletics.com/ic/bwic.htm British West Indies Championships]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2015-03-21.</ref>

[[Wellesley Clayton]] was the only male athlete to defend his title from the 1964 championships, winning the [[long jump]] for a second time. On the women's side [[Carmen Smith-Brown|Carmen Smith]] retained her [[100 metres]] title and [[Una Morris]] finished undefeated in the [[400 metres]]. [[Joan Gordon]] won both the [[shot put]] and [[discus throw]] for a second time running, while [[Beverley Welsh]] was again victorious in the long jump. [[Billy Montague]] was the last man to win two individual gold medals at the same championships, scoring a [[hurdling|hurdles]] double.<ref name=GBR/> Two sons of then-Chief Minister of Antigua [[Vere Bird]] ([[Ivor Bird|Ivor]] and [[Lester Bird|Lester]]) won medals at the tournament.<ref>Kaufman, Michael (1999-06-30). [https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/30/world/vere-bird-89-who-led-antigua-to-freedom.html Vere Bird, 89, Who Led Antigua to Freedom]. ''New York Times''. Retrieved on 2015-03-22.</ref>

Despite this being the final edition, the standard of performances was comparatively high, with thirteen championship records being equalled or bettered.<ref name=GBR/> The men's [[100 metres]] winner [[Lennox Miller]] went on to claim Olympic silver three years later.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200417094551/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/mi/lennox-miller-1.html Lennox Miller]. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2015-03-22.</ref> Long-time participants [[George Kerr (athlete)|George Kerr]] and [[Harry Prowell]] both returned to the podium and claimed their eighth career medal of the championships, while [[Clifton Bertrand]] (the inaugural 200&nbsp;m champion) won his sixth individual sprint medal here.

After the end of the British West Indies championships, athletics competition between Caribbean nations continued in the form of the long-standing quadrennial [[Central American and Caribbean Games]].<ref>[http://www.gbrathletics.com/ic/cacg.htm Central American and Caribbean Games]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2015-03-22.</ref> In addition, a new venue for such contests followed soon after the dissolution of the championships: the biennial [[Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics]] was launched in 1967.<ref>[http://www.gbrathletics.com/ic/cacc.htm Central American and Caribbean Championships]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2015-03-22.</ref>

==Medal summary==

===Men===
{| {{MedalistTable|type=Event|columns=2}}
|-
|100 metres
|{{flagathlete|[[Lennox Miller]]|JAM}} || 10.6
|{{flagathlete|[[Pablo McNeil]]|JAM}} || 10.7
|{{flagathlete|[[Winston Short]]|TRI}} || 10.9
|-
|200 metres
|{{flagathlete|[[Pablo McNeil]]|JAM}} || 20.8 {{AthAbbr|CR}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Clifton Bertrand]]|TRI}} || 20.9
|{{flagathlete|[[Winston Short]]|TRI}} || 21.3
|-
|400 metres
|{{flagathlete|[[Laurie Kahn]]|JAM}} || 46.7 {{AthAbbr|CR}}=
|{{flagathlete|[[Lloyd Bacchus]]|BGU}} || 46.8
|{{flagathlete|[[Keith Forde (athlete)|Keith Forde]]|BAR|1885}} || 47.4
|-
|800 metres
|{{flagathlete|[[Keith Forde (athlete)|Keith Forde]]|BAR|1885}} || 1:51.1
|{{flagathlete|[[Alex McDonald (runner)|Alex McDonald]]|JAM}} || 1:51.1
|{{flagathlete|[[Lloyd Bacchus]]|BGU}} || 1:52.5
|-
|1500 metres
|{{flagathlete|[[Neville Myton]]|JAM}} || 4:03.4
|{{flagathlete|[[Casper Springer]]|BAR|1885}} || 4:04.0
|{{flagathlete|[[Lennox Yearwood (athlete)|Lennox Yearwood]]|TRI}} || 4:05.6
|-
|5000 metres
|{{flagathlete|[[Harry Prowell]]|BGU}} || 15:30.5
|{{flagathlete|[[Moses Dwarika]]|BGU}} || ???
|{{flagathlete|[[George Kerr (athlete)|George Kerr]]|JAM}} || 16:00.8
|-
|110 m hurdles
|{{flagathlete|[[Billy Montague]]|TRI}} || 14.8
|{{flagathlete|[[Winston Jerrick]]|BGU}} || 15.0
|{{flagathlete|[[Wilhelm Joseph]]|TRI}} || 15.0
|-
|400 m hurdles
|{{flagathlete|[[Billy Montague]]|TRI}} || 54.0
|{{flagathlete|[[Charles Clarke (Jamaican athlete)|Charles Clarke]]|JAM}} || 54.1
|{{flagathlete|[[Anthony Carr (hurdler)|Anthony Carr]]|JAM}} || ???
|-
|4 × 100 m relay
|{{flagteam|JAM}} || 41.0 {{AthAbbr|CR}}
|{{flagteam|TRI}} || 41.2
|{{flagteam|BGU}} || 41.4
|-
|4 × 400 m relay
|{{flagteam|JAM}} || 3:11.5
|{{flagteam|BAR|1885}} || 3:13.8
|{{flagteam|TRI}} || 3:16.2
|-
|Half marathon
|{{flagathlete|[[Moses Dwarika]]|BGU}} || 1:12:38
|{{flagathlete|[[Harry Prowell]]|BGU}} || 1:14:06
|{{flagathlete|[[Vinton Powell]]|JAM}} || 1:17:04
|-
|High jump
|{{flagathlete|[[Ivor Bird]]|ATG|colonial}} || 2.00 m
|{{flagathlete|[[Anton Norris]]|BAR|1885}} || 2.00 m
|{{flagathlete|[[Trevor Tennant]]|JAM}} || ??? m
|-
|Pole vault
|{{flagathlete|[[Wilhelm Joseph]]|TRI}} || 3.81 m {{AthAbbr|CR}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Dan Winsboro]]|VIN|colonial}} || 3.50 m
|{{flagathlete|[[Ayrton Clouden]]|VIN|colonial}} || ??? m
|-
|Long jump
|{{flagathlete|[[Wellesley Clayton]]|JAM}} || 7.26 m
|{{flagathlete|[[Allan Callender]]|TRI}} || 6.86 m
|{{flagathlete|[[Trevor Thomas (athlete)|Trevor Thomas]]|JAM}} || ??? m
|-
|Triple jump
|{{flagathlete|[[Trevor Thomas (athlete)|Trevor Thomas]]|JAM}} || 15.03 m
|{{flagathlete|[[Lennox Burgher]]|JAM}} || 14.88 m
|{{flagathlete|[[Billy Montague]]|TRI}} || 14.37 m
|-
|Shot put
|{{flagathlete|[[William Barrow (athlete)|William Barrow]]|ATG|colonial}} || 14.22 m {{AthAbbr|CR}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Carlton Spencer]]|JAM}} || 14.15 m
|{{flagathlete|[[Lester Bird]]|ATG|colonial}} || 14.08 m
|-
|Discus throw
|{{flagathlete|[[Robert Darlow]]|JAM}} || 46.48 m {{AthAbbr|CR}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Winston Burt]]|JAM}} || ??? m
|{{flagathlete|[[Colville Moore]]|TRI}} || 40.74 m
|-
|Javelin throw
|{{flagathlete|[[Ayrton Clouden]]|VIN|colonial}} || 58.03 m
|{{flagathlete|[[Thomas Lawrence (javelin thrower)|Thomas Lawrence]]|GRN|1903}} || ??? m
|{{flagathlete|[[Felix Bentham]]|JAM}} || ??? m
|}

===Women===
{| {{MedalistTable|type=Event|columns=2}}
|-
|100 metres
|{{flagathlete|[[Carmen Smith-Brown|Carmen Smith]]|JAM}} || 11.9
|{{flagathlete|[[Adlin Mair]]|JAM}} || 12.0
|{{flagathlete|[[Thora Best]]|TRI}} || 12.1
|-
|200 metres
|{{flagathlete|[[Vilma Charlton]]|JAM}} || 24.2
|{{flagathlete|[[Jocelyn Haynes]]|TRI}} || 25.0
|{{flagathlete|[[Aldene Holder]]|BAR|1885}} || ???
|-
|400 metres
|{{flagathlete|[[Una Morris]]|JAM}} || 57.3 {{AthAbbr|CR}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Jocelyn Haynes]]|TRI}} || 57.9
|{{flagathlete|[[Octavia Straker]]|TRI}} || ???
|-
|80 m hurdles
|{{flagathlete|[[Thora Best]]|TRI}} || 11.4 {{AthAbbr|CR}}=
|{{flagathlete|[[Carmen Smith-Brown|Carmen Smith]]|JAM}} || 11.5
|{{flagathlete|[[Adlin Mair]]|JAM}} || 11.6
|-
|4 × 100 m relay
|{{flagteam|JAM}} || 46.3 {{AthAbbr|CR}}
|{{flagteam|TRI}} || 49.0
|{{flagteam|BAR|colonial}} || ???
|-
|High jump
|{{flagathlete|[[Patsy Callender]]|BAR|1885}} || 1.67 m {{AthAbbr|CR}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Clovis Arthur]]|BAR|1885}} || 1.65 m
|Unknown athlete || ??? m
|-
|Long jump
|{{flagathlete|[[Beverley Welsh]]|JAM}} || 5.73 m {{AthAbbr|CR}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Thora Best]]|TRI}} || ??? m
|{{flagathlete|[[O. Watson]]|JAM}} || ??? m
|-
|Shot put
|{{flagathlete|[[Joan Gordon]]|JAM}} || 11.88 m {{AthAbbr|CR}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Yvonne Mitchell (athlete)|Yvonne Mitchell]]|TRI}} || ??? m
|Unknown athlete || ??? m
|-
|Discus throw
|{{flagathlete|[[Joan Gordon]]|JAM}} || 36.09 m {{AthAbbr|CR}}
|{{flagathlete|[[Vicky Clarke]]|TRI}} || ??? m
|{{flagathlete|[[Veronica Murren]]|TRI}} || ??? m
|-
|Javelin throw
|{{flagathlete|[[Eileen Sutherland]]|JAM}} || 36.70 m
|{{flagathlete|[[Veronica Murren]]|TRI}} || ??? m
|{{flagathlete|[[Yvonne Mitchell (athlete)|Yvonne Mitchell]]|TRI}} || ??? m
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}
;Medallists
*[http://www.gbrathletics.com/ic/bwic.htm British West Indies Championships]. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2015-03-21.

{{British West Indies Championships}}

[[Category:British West Indies Championships]]
[[Category:1965 in Barbados|British West Indies Championships]]
[[Category:1965 in athletics (track and field)|British West Indies Championships]]
[[Category:1965 in Caribbean sport|British West Indies Championships]]
[[Category:International athletics competitions hosted by Barbados]]
[[Category:Sport in Bridgetown]]