Seymour Newman


Seymour Newman is a Jamaican former athlete who competed in short and middle-distance running events

Biography

As a youth, Newman was a proficient cricketer and in the early 1970s he played for the Jamaica Under 19s team, in the same side as Jeff Dujon and Michael Holding.
Newman represented Jamaica in two events at the 1976 Summer Olympics. He made the semi-finals of the 800 metres and finished fifth in contentious circumstances, having been bumped during the race by US runner Rick Wohlhuter. The American was disqualified after the race but later reinstated, a decision which cost Newman a place in the final. He was also a member of the 4 × 400 metres relay team which made the final and finished in fifth position.
He won both the 400 metres and 800 metres races at the 1977 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics. His run in the 400 metres final was in a field which included Cuba's Olympic champion Alberto Juantorena and set a personal best time, 45.66.
At the 1978 Commonwealth Games he won silver medals in the 800 metres and the 4 × 400 metres relay.
His personal best in the 800 metres, a time of 1:45.2 set in Helsinki in 1977, remains a Jamaican national record.