JIS photo
LEFT: A teacher and students of Calabar High School, St. Andrew, view the body of Herb McKenley in the school auditorium yesterday.
Contributed
RIGHT: Sports Minister Olivia 'Babsy' Grange signs the condolence book for Herb McKenley at Calabar High School yesterday, while some students look on. McKenley was a former student and coach at the Red Hills Road institution.

Keisha Hill, Staff Reporter

Leslie Laing, Herb McKenley's teammate on the historic 4x400-metre team which won gold at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, and his wife, Carmen Phipps, also an Olympian, head a list of sports personalities who will pay their last respects to the great Jamaican sprinter today at what is expected to be a 'tightly-run funeral'.

"It will be a tightly-run funeral, which will end in two hours. It will also be a fine way to say goodbye," said Andrews, administrative director of the Institute of Sports and a member of the organising committee for the event.

Andrews also said representatives from the Calabar Old Boys' Association and the Rotary Club of Kingston of which McKenley was a member, will participate in the service.

Local, international dignitaries

Several international and local sports officials and personalities are also expected to attend the official funeral service of international sports icon, the Hon. Herb McKenley, which takes place today at the National Arena, starting at 2:00 p.m.

McKenley, who cut a 15-metre stagger and gave Jamaica the lead while running that stupendous third leg on the 1952 Helsinki Olympics 4x400m gold medal team that also included Arthur Wint, Les Laing and George Rhoden, died on November 26.

He will be interred at National Heroes Park following the funeral service at the National Arena.

Reports are that double Olympic gold medallist and London 2012 Olympics Organising Committee chairman, Lord Sebastian Coe, pole vault world record holder Sergi Bubka, double Olympic gold medallist Alberto Juantorena of Cuba and 1976 Olympic 100m Olympic champion, Hasely Crawford of Trinidad & Tobago, are among the big names from the international sporting fraternity who will attend today's service.

Lord Coe won gold medals in the 1500m at the 1980 Moscow and 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games; Ukrainian Bubka set the 6.14m pole vault world record in 1994 and won gold in the event at the 1988 Seoul Olympics; Juantorena won gold in the 400m and 800m in Montreal in 1976 and Crawford beat Jamaica's Donald Quarrie to win the 100-metre gold medal at the Montreal Olympics in 1976.

Sporting organisations

Member of the organising committee for the funeral, Dr. Herbert Elliott, said other Olympians such as Mike Sands, who is now president of the Bahamian Association of Athletic Associations and former International Association of Athletics Federation council member, Alpheus Finlayson, are coming from the Bahamas.

According to Elliott, Merlene Ottey may also be in attendance. Ottey, who represented Jamaica until 2002, has won more Olympic medals than any other athlete from the western hemisphere.

George Kerr, an Olympic bronze medallist, journeyed from Rome, Italy to officiate as one of the pallbearers.

Other former Jamaica Olympic representatives are expected as well as representatives from local sporting organisations, including the Jamaica Olympic Association, Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association, Jamaica Football Federation, Jamaica Amateur Basketball Association, Jamaica Cricket Association, Jamaica Rugby Union, Jamaica Boxing Board, Special Olympics Jamaica, Jamaica Table Tennis Association, Amateur Swimming Association of Jamaica, Jamaica Hockey Federation and the Jamaica Sports Medicine Association.

Former Olympians who reside in Jamaica are expected to be present, including Juliet Cuthbert and Bertland Cameron, and current track sensations, Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson.

Medical personnel

Meanwhile, with the large number of persons expected to converge on the National Arena, 50 health personnel will be on hand to provide medical support. Dr Marion Bullock Ducasse, director of emergency, disaster management and special services in the Ministry of Health will head the medical team.

In addition to the medical personnel, three ambulances will be on call during the proceedings. Additionally, the Ministry of Health has been engaged in intensive vector control activities in and around the National Arena and at National Heroes Park.

"We will be looking after everybody including the elderly. We will have full medical coverage for all of the function and the burial," said Dr. Elliott.