THE late Olympic gold medallist Leslie Alphonso Laing, who passed this past weekend at age 95, has been hailed as “a hero” by The Olympians Association of Jamaica (OAJ), says President Marvin Anderson.

Laing, who was part of the Jamaican team to win gold medal at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland in the 4x400m relays, was also described as “one of the nation’s Olympic pioneers”, while Garth Gayle, president of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA), said the Linstead, St Catherine, native was “a giant of a man” of whose kindness many were the beneficiaries.

Laing was a member of the mile relay team that included Arthur Wint, Herb McKenley and George Rhoden that set a world record three minutes, 03.9 seconds. Anderson said: “His heroic relay run of 47 seconds flat was all the more remarkable because he was a specialist 200 metres man.”

A release from the OAJ said Laing leaves behind “a substantial legacy from his days on the track. While many Jamaican track stars emerged from the US college circuit, the Linstead native rose to prominence in Britain as a member of the Polytechnic Harriers Athletic Club in London. Fittingly, he made his Olympic debut in that city in 1948, placing sixth in the 200 metres final”, behind McKenley, who was fourth.

The OAJ said it was an injury to Wint at the London Games in 1948 which prompted “Laing and his teammates to vow to return and win four years later in Helsinki, Finland. Running faster in every round, Laing became the first Jamaican to reach an Olympic sprint final twice and improved his finish to fifth place. Despite his short stature, he delivered a stout-hearted second-leg run to help Jamaica to fulfil the promise made in London”.

At 5”4′ Laing was the shortest of the four Jamaicans on the 4x400m team and was recognised by the respected US publication Track and Field News which listed him in its annual world rankings three times — at number nine in 1948, number 10 in 1949 and at number nine once more in 1953.

Anderson said, “his accomplishments paved the way for Jamaica in the sprints. In fact, no other Jamaican would reach back-to-back Olympic 200 finals until Don Quarrie did it in 1976 and 1980. Mr Laing was a pioneer who showed us what was possible for us in the 200m”.