Hasely Crawford Olympic Victory - Montreal  July 24 1976
Channel: Visual Art and Production
Date: 24/07/2022

Born August 16, 1950 Hasely made his international debut at the 1970 Central American and Caribbean Games held in Panama City, Panama, where he made it to the finals of the 100 metres event, placing fifth. Later that same year he went on to win a Bronze Medal in the 100 metres event at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland. In 1972, Hasely shocked the Athletic World by making the final eight in the 100 metres Olympic Final in Munich, West Germany. Injury however, prevented him from winning a Medal for his country there as he could only take a few steps and pull up lame in the final. In 1975 he won this country's lone medal - a Silver in the 100 metres - at the Pan American Games in Mexico City, Mexico. The following year history was created when he won Trinidad and Tobago's first Gold Medal in the 100 metres at the Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada.


In 1978 he was a member of the Team that won a Gold Medal in the 4x100 metres at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Medellin, Colombia and that same year he collected the Bronze Medal in the 100 metres at the Commonwealth Games held in Edmonton, Canada. Hasely is the only Trinidadian to compete in four Olympic Games as he also represented T&T at both the Moscow and Los Angeles editions in 1980 and 1984. Hasely "Raj Paul" Crawford has a jet and a stadium named after him and was bestowed the Trinity Cross in 1978. In the year 2000 he was named the Trinidad & Tobago Athlete of the Millennium.