Harry Jerome International Track Classic - Heritage
Plaque name: Harry Jerome International Track Classic
Location: Swangard Stadium, 3883 Imperial Street, Burnaby, BC V5G 4H7, Canada
Plaque awarded: 13/06/2022
Reason: Plaque Category – Competition
The inaugural Achilles meet (now called the Harry Jerome International Track Classic) was held at Vancouver’s Empire Stadium, the site of the 1954 British Empire Games and Miracle Mile, as a preview to the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games.
1984 marked the renaming of the meeting in honour of North Vancouver’s late multiple world record breaker Harry Jerome, who was the 100m bronze medallist at those Tokyo Olympics.
The Achilles society has hosted “The Jerome” at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, BC. since 1983.
Canada’s longest running international invitational meet has thrilled spectators with performances by world and Olympic champions, world record holders, Canadian stars, and young hopefuls.
Numerous international greats have competed at the meeting including Mike Boit, Eamonn Coghlan, Joaquim Cruz, Ashton Eaton, Cathy Freeman, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Carl Lewis, Marlene Ottey, Tom Petranoff, Daley Thompson, and John Walker to name but a few.
Canadian stars competing have included Dylan Armstrong, Donovan Bailey, Melissa Bishop, Debbie Brill, Angela Chalmers, Charmaine Crooks, Andre DeGrasse, Derek Drouin, Gary Reed, Bruny Surin, Brianne Theisen-Eaton, Damian Warner, and Lynn Williams.