UNIVERSITY of Nebraska track and field has joined the list of those showering praises on the late Jamaican Olympian Keith Gardner who passed away in New Jersey last weekend after a short illness.

A release from Hilary Winter, assistant media relations director described the two-time Olympian as a “former Husker great” who competed at the institution between 1957 and 1958, saying he was regarded “as one of the top athletes to come through the NU programme”.

Nebraska’s tribute follows several, including from the Prime Minister, the Most Hon Portia Sampson Miller, and the Multicare Foundation.

The release said Gardner, the two-time Commonwealth Games 120-yards hurdles gold medallist and 1960 Olympic 4x400m bronze medallist, “joined the Huskers as one of the first Jamaicans to receive an athletic scholarship from the University”, where he went on to be a three-time outdoor All-American and three-time Conference champion in the 120-yards hurdles and the 220 yards.

Gardner, who was 82 when he died, was a director at the Multicare Foundation where he ran their sports programme for several years. He underwent a quadruple bypass recently before suffering a series of strokes.