Olmeus Charles
Encyclopedia
Olmeus Charles was a Haiti
an track and field
athlete who competed at the 1976 Olympic Games
in Montreal
.
Charles competed at 10000 metres
, and completed his qualifying heat in 42:00.11. He finished 14 minutes behind the heat winner Carlos Lopes
of Portugal and 8.5 minutes behind Chris McCubbins
of Canada who finished next to last. While he completed the last six rounds alone on the field, track officials argued whether he should be allowed to finish the course. Ultimately he was, which held up the entire track and field schedule by fourteen minutes.
Charles was one of the members of the notorious squad of Haitian long distance track and field athletes delegated to the Olympic Games by the Baby Doc Duvalier regime during the 1970s and 1980s, who gained fame by setting all-time worst times on the Olympics, many of which are still standing today. Other notable performers included Anilus Joseph
who started his 1972 10000 metres qualifying heat in a sprint then dropped out when he was already a mile behind the leaders, Wilnor Joseph who covered the 800 metres
with a time of 2:15.26 in 1976, and Dieudonne Lamothe who finished last at both the 5000 metres
in 1976 and at the marathon
race in 1984.
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
an track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athlete who competed at the 1976 Olympic Games
1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
.
Charles competed at 10000 metres
Athletics at the 1976 Summer Olympics - Men's 10000 metres
The official results of the Men's 10,000 metres at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada. The final was held on Monday July 26, 1976 after the qualifying heats were run on Friday July 23, 1976.-Medalists:-Records:...
, and completed his qualifying heat in 42:00.11. He finished 14 minutes behind the heat winner Carlos Lopes
Carlos Lopes
Carlos Alberto de Sousa Lopes, GCIH, is a former Portuguese long-distance athlete, winner of the marathon race at the 1984 Summer Olympics, in Los Angeles. He brought home Portugal's first ever Olympic gold medal along with a new Olympic record - 2:09.21.Born in Vildemoinhos, near Viseu, Portugal,...
of Portugal and 8.5 minutes behind Chris McCubbins
Chris McCubbins
Raymond Chris McCubbins was a middle-distance runner from the United States. He won the gold medal in the men's 3,000 metres steeplechase event at the 1967 Pan American Games. McCubbins later competed for Canada at the 1976 Olympics in the 10,000 meter event...
of Canada who finished next to last. While he completed the last six rounds alone on the field, track officials argued whether he should be allowed to finish the course. Ultimately he was, which held up the entire track and field schedule by fourteen minutes.
Charles was one of the members of the notorious squad of Haitian long distance track and field athletes delegated to the Olympic Games by the Baby Doc Duvalier regime during the 1970s and 1980s, who gained fame by setting all-time worst times on the Olympics, many of which are still standing today. Other notable performers included Anilus Joseph
Anilus Joseph
Anilus Joseph was a Haitian track and field athlete who competed at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.Joseph was running his first ever 10000 metres at the Olympics and started off with a quick pace, covering the first lap in 59.6 secs. By the eighth lap he was passed by all the others and by the...
who started his 1972 10000 metres qualifying heat in a sprint then dropped out when he was already a mile behind the leaders, Wilnor Joseph who covered the 800 metres
800 metres
The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...
with a time of 2:15.26 in 1976, and Dieudonne Lamothe who finished last at both the 5000 metres
5000 metres
The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...
in 1976 and at the marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
race in 1984.