Ron Jones (sprinter)
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British (Welsh) |
| Born | 19 August 1934 Aberdare, Wales |
| Died | 30 December 2021 (aged 87) Cambridge, England |
| Height | 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) |
| Weight | 78 kg (172 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event | Sprints |
| Club | Birchgrove Harriers Woodford Green AC |
Medal record | |
Ronald Jones (19 August 1934 – 30 December 2021) was a British track and field athlete who competed at two Olympic Games.
Biography
[edit]Jones was born on 19 August 1934 in Aberdare, Rhondda Cynon Taf. Jones was running for the Birchgrove Harriers when he finished fourth in the 100 yards event at the 1958 AAA Championships.[1] By being the highest placed British athlete in the event he was considered the British 100 yards champion.[2] The following year he finished third behind Peter Radford in the 100 yards at the 1959 AAA Championships.[3]
He won the bronze medal in the men's 4x100 metres relay at the 1962 European Championships in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, alongside Alf Meakin, Berwyn Jones, and David Jones. He also won a bronze medal with David England, Nick Whitehead and Berwyn Jones in the 4 x 110 yards relay while competing for Wales at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Perth, Australia. He combined with Peter Radford, David Jones and Berwyn Jones to equal the world 4 x 110 yds world record in 1963 with 40.0 secs. Ron held the Welsh 100m record for 27 years until it was beaten by future world 110m hurdles record holder Colin Jackson with 10.29 in 1990.
Jones represented Great Britain at two consecutive Summer Olympics, starting with the 1964 Tokyo Games.[4] He was Britain's team captain in the 1968 Mexico Games.[4]
Jones won another British AAA Championships title at the 1969 AAA Championships,[5] having previously been classified as British champion in 1968 because of a second place finish behind Paul Nash.[6][7]
After his illustrious athletics career he became either the CEO or MD of three major football clubs in the English leagues. He was also a member of both the Welsh Athletics Hall of Fame and the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame.[8]
He died in Cambridge on 30 December 2021, at the age of 87.[9][10][11]
References
[edit]- ^ "Ibbotson quits... Pirie flops". Sunday Sun (Newcastle). 13 July 1958. Retrieved 17 July 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists". National Union of Track Statisticians. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
- ^ "Barefooted Bruce kicks out stars". Weekly Dispatch (London). 12 July 1959. Retrieved 15 May 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b "Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
- ^ "White City results". The People. 3 August 1969. Retrieved 15 May 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists". National Union of Track Statisticians. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
- ^ "AAA Championships (men)". GBR Athletics. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
- ^ "Roll of Honour athletics great Ron Jones dies". Welsh Sports Hall Of Fame. 31 December 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
- ^ "Ron Jones: Olympian and ex-Cardiff City director dies aged 87". BBC Sport. 30 December 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ^ "Ron Jones, sprinter and British captain at Mexico Olympics, dies aged 87". The Guardian. 30 December 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
- ^ Ron Jones
Sources
[edit]
- 1934 births
- 2021 deaths
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1964 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1968 Summer Olympics
- Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for Wales
- Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics
- European Athletics Championships medalists
- Olympic athletes for Great Britain
- Sportspeople from Aberdare
- Welsh male sprinters
- British male sprinters
- Medallists at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games