| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Jamaican |
| Born | (1959-11-16)16 November 1959 (age 66) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Running |
Event | 400 meters |
| College team | UTEP Miners |
Medal record | |
Bertland Cameron (born 16 November 1959) is a retiredJamaicansprinter who mainly competed over400 metres. He represented Jamaica at three consecutive editions of theSummer Olympics. Cameron won the 400 m title at the firstWorld Championships in Athletics. He was also the1982 Commonwealth Games champion[1] in the event, and won a number ofgold medals at regional competitions. He helped the Jamaican runners to asilver medal in the4 × 400 metres relay at the1988 Seoul Olympics.
Cameroncarried the Jamaican flag at theopening ceremony of the1984 Summer Olympics inLos Angeles, California. He was chosen as theJamaica Sportsperson of the year three times consecutively from 1981 to 1983.[2] He is currently a coach in Jamaica.
Born inSpanish Town,Saint Catherine Parish, Cameron attendedSt. Jago High School.[3] His first medal on the international stage came at the1978 Commonwealth Games, where he helped Jamaica to a 4 × 400 m relaysilver medal behindKenya.[4] His first Olympic appearance soon followed, and he reached the quarter-finals of the 400 m and also ran in the relay.[5] He was schooled in theUnited States on asports scholarship and won both theNCAA 400 m titlesindoors andoutdoors in 1980 and 1981, and he went on to obtain a third outdoor title in 1983 for theUTEP Miners.[6][7] Cameron represented the Americas at the1981 IAAF World Cup and came away with thebronze medal in both the individual and relay events.[8] He returned to the Commonwealth stage for the1982 Games and he became the 400 m champion.[4]
Cameron won the 400 m at the inauguralWorld Championships in 1983. He had a good run in the 1984 Olympic semi-final, but halfway through the race grabbed his leg as a result of picking up a muscle injury. However, in one of the great comebacks of all time, he miraculously managed to start running again and qualified for the final. Unfortunately, his injury was such that he was not able to take his place in the final. He competed at the1987 World Championships in Athletics but failed to defend his title, being eliminated in the semi-finals. He helped the Jamaican relay team to sixth place in the final. Four years after his injury-battling run, he ran at the1988 Summer Olympics and helped win a silver medal in4 × 400 metres relay.
Outside his global appearances for Jamaica, he enjoyed success at regional level. He won the 400 m at the1981 Central American and Caribbean Championships and followed this with anothergold medal at the1982 CAC Games. He returned to theCAC Championships in 1985 and won the silver medal behind Cuba'sRoberto Hernández.[9][10] At the1987 Pan American Games, he beat the Cuban but again left with the silver medal asRaymond Pierre took the title.[11]
After retiring from running, he became a coach inKingston, Jamaica. He took onJermaine Gonzales and his charge broke the 400 mJamaican record in 2010. He decided to start working with Gonzales withinGlen Mills'Racers Track Club that year.[12]
1Did not start in the final
|
Commonwealth Games champions in men's400 metres | |
|---|---|
| 440 yards (1930–1966) | |
| 400 metres (1970–present) |
|
