By Glenroy Sinclair, Staff Reporter
Dr. Herb McKenley holds the Key to the City of Kingston, which he received at a ceremony held under the auspices of the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation, on Roosevelt Avenue, St. Andrew, on Saturday. The avenue has been renamed Herb McKenley Drive. - IAN ALLEN/Staff Photographer
OLYMPIC LEGEND, Dr. Herb McKenley, may have hung up his spikes more than 45 years ago, but he is still striking gold for his achievements.
His latest 'gold' was struck on Saturday, when the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) renamed Roosevelt Avenue as Herb McKenley Drive, in tribute to the great Olympian's contribution to the development of track and field in Jamaica.
Following a brief function in which Local Government and Sports Minister Portia Simpson Miller, Senator Prudence Kidd-Deans and Don Anderson of the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) paid tribute, the avenue's new name was unveiled by one of the country's most recent Olympic gold medallists, Sherone Simpson.
WORLD RECORD
Roosevelt Avenue is located near the entrance to the National Stadium, intersecting with Arthur Wint Drive, also named after another great Olympian, Dr. Arthur Wint. Both men McKenley and Wint were members of the 1952 Olympic team which established a new world record when they won the 4X400 metres relay. The other two team members were George Rhoden and Les Laing.
The citation to Dr. McKenley stated in part that: "Dr. McKenley has been recognised as one of the most treasured citizens living in Kingston". Mrs. Simpson Miller in her presentation made mention of Dr. McKenley's many accolades, both as a sport administrator and a coach.
"He is the first man in history to run the 400 metres under 46 seconds," said Mrs. Simpson Miller, during her brief speech on the lawns in front of Independence Park.
