Fifty years ago today, the names Donald Quarrie and Marilyn Neufville were associated with the best in the world. But there were others who were making a name throughout the Caribbean, helping to make Jamaica’s track and field programme, the jewel of the region. Just take a look at the coverage of this 1971 story covering the Central American and Caribbean Athletics Championships.

Published July 16, 1971

Neufville, Dyce win gold medals

Five new records set on second day of CAC Champs

JAMAICA'S WORLD-RANKING athletes carved three of the five records set on July 15, 1971, as the Third Central American and Caribbean Athletic Championships ended their second day before some 3,000 spectators at the National Stadium.

Marilyn Neufville, holder of the world 400 metres record 51 seconds added a new achievement to her long list when she circled the 400 metres in 53.5 seconds to erase the previous best of 55.2 seconds by Cuba’s Carmen Truste.

Then Donald Quarrie in the heat of the 200 metres, returned 20.6 seconds to erase the former mark of 21 seconds by Cuba’s Hermes Ramirez.

The third Jamaican entry into the record book was posted by Byron Dyce, who prospected gold in the 800 metres taking 1:49.7 seconds to clip three-tenths seconds off the former best time by Cuba’s Luis Dubouchet, who finished third behind Dyce and another Cuban, Leandro Civil.

The other seconds set on July 15 came from Cuba’s Marlen Elejalde, who took the pentathlon gold with an aggregate of 4341 points, 367 points better than the previous total 3974 by Daisy Echvarria of Cuba. Second-placed Lucia Vaamonde of Venezuela, 433 and Marcia Garbey of Cuba 4122 also rose above the previous best.

In the 5,000 metres, Hector of Puerto Rico outclassed his rivals to hit the tape in 14:25.6 seconds, 33.8 seconds less than the former record of 14:59.4 by Sergio Gonzalez.

Other records already made in the championships were Valentine Robles 30:25.7 seconds in the 10,000 metres and Lucio Garrido’s 8:58.6 seconds in the 3,00 0metres steeplechase.

In the 10,00 metres, there was an error in the number of laps the athletes were asked to run and an appeal by the Mexican delegation showed up that an extra lap was run. On restructuring of the race, in view of the extra lap run, the Mexican claim for a record was upheld by the Technical Committee.

At the end of last of the July 15 events, Cuba led with 9 gold, 7 silver, 8 bronze for 24  medals, followed by Jamaica 4 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze, Mexico 2 gold  3 silver, 3 bronze, Puerto Rico 1 gold, 4 silver, 1 bronze, Venezuela 1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze, Trinidad 1 gold, 1 bronze, Guatemala 1 silver and Suriname 1 bronze.

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