media_artricles :: 2013

Crawford remembers coach as disciplinarian

HASELY CRAWFORD, Trinidad and Tobago’s first Olympic gold medallist (men’s 100-metre sprint at the 1976 Games in Montreal, Canada), has remembered his late coach Wilton Jackson as a disciplinarian.

The 77-year-old Jackson died on March 10 and was buried in his native San Fernando on Monday.

The 62-year-old Crawford, in an interview last evening, said, “people don’t understand the importance of a coach and following his instructions. I thank God that he allowed me to take his knowledge. You saw what the results were. I hope he could rest in peace.”

Asked if Jackson was with him during his appearances at both the 1972 Olympic Games (in Munich, West Germany — now Germany) and Montreal, Crawford commented, “in those days, the (local track and field) Federation were at war with him. In 1972, although I asked him to be my coach, although he was there, he had to pay his way because they really (were) fighting him.

“Of course, in 1976, because he is a very strong-willed person, the same thing persisted,” Crawford continued. “Again, they selected another coach and not the coach I wanted. But I got Adidas to pay for him and he was there for me.

“He was my coach all the way. A lot of people do not recognise him. He was responsible for me winning that gold medal. I am happy that he allowed me to acquire that knowledge. A coach is very important and you (must) always follow his instructions to a ‘t’ if you want to succeed.”

As an athlete, Jackson featured in the 100m, 200m, 400m, 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay, and was also a graduate of Morgan State University in Maryland, United States.

Jackson represented both Trinidad and Tobago and the West Indies at the Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, Wales (1958), the Pan American Games (1959) and the Tokyo Olympics (1964).

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