Morris, Myton, and Hoilett – terrific trio

Oddly enough, the National Honour to 1964 Olympic 200-metre finalist Una Morris-Chong on Monday comes not long after the October 6 passing of one of her 1964 teammates, Rupert Hoilett. Morris, Hoilett and Neville Myton will forever be linked in Jamaica’s sporting history as debutantes who had the world at their feet.

All three were dominant high school athletes when they qualified for the Olympics with Myton setting a world junior 800 metres record to make the cut, with all three travelling to the host city of Tokyo, Japan. Once there, Kingston Technical’s Morris set national records en route to the 200 metres final where she clocked 23.5 seconds to place fourth, at 17 years old.

It’s still the supreme performance by a Jamaican junior athlete at a global championship, with Nikole Mitchells’ seventh place in the 1993 World Championship 100m final close.

Myton and Hoilett were eliminated early from the 800m and 400m respectively, but each member of this terrific trio returned to high school competition in 1965. Morris won everything in sight at Girls’ Championships for Kingston Technical. Myton dominated for Excelsior High School in the 880 yards and the mile as did Hoilett for Kingston College in the 440 yards.

Hoilett’s feat of winning the Class One ‘quarter’ three years in a row with new records each time has never been matched.

Had he outraced the heart-related complaint that laid him low, Hoilett would surely have applauded his 1964 teammate heartily on Heroes’ Day. They are members of a close-knit group which has lost Hoilett, Myton, Dennis Johnson, George Kerr and Pablo McNeil. However, Morris, Vilma Charlton, Dr Patrick Robinson and Lindy Headley still share the bond.

Morris gradually moved up to the 400m as her Olympic career carried her to Mexico in 1968, Munich in 1972 and Montreal in 1976. In the one lap event, she won the bronze in the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Kingston and a gold in the 200m at the 1966 Central American and Caribbean Games.

The versatile Jamaican held national records in the 200, 400 and 800 metres, and broke the world indoor 300m record in 1967. On top of all that, she was world-ranked number 7 in the 200m by the respected US publication Track And Field News in 1964 and twice at number 10 in the 400m.

Morris was a pioneer and it’s brilliant that she was honoured on Heroes’ Day. Like Myton and Hoilett, she represents an era in Jamaica’s track and field athletics that few remember despite all their super achievements.

Hubert Lawrence has made notes at trackside since 1980.