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 Montreal 1976: Hill's triumph


As reported at: http://www.bermuda.bm/olympic/milestones.html

Clarence Hill has been the only Olympian representing Bermuda who has ever won a medal - the bronze for boxing in Montreal in 1976.

As reported at: http://www.bermuda.bm/olympic/montreal.html

In Montreal, Bermuda would finally have its unalloyed moment of glory, however tainted it would later become.

Heavyweight boxer Clarence Hill would stand tallest of all, however, when he captured a bronze medal. But his victory was spoiled when he lost a shot at a silver medal following a defeat to Mircea Simeon of Romania. "I wanted to do good for Bermuda but my left arm was useless," Hill said after the bout. "I couldn't land a decent punch and I'm sorry for the performance you saw." Hill's loss meant that he wouldn't have to face Teofilo Stevenson and many felt that Hill was too afraid to fight the powerful Cuban.

The rest of Bermuda's team in 1976 fell short of their goals. The 100 metres relay team of Mike Sharpe, Dennis Trott, Cal Dill and Greg Simons narrowly missed an opportunity to qualify for the final, but they still managed to stitch together a solid performance in the semi-finals.

Dill made it to the semi-finals of the 200 metres, but that was as far as he would go. High jumper Clark Godwin failed to meet the 2.10 metre mark and even more sadly Debbie Jones was forced to withdraw in all three of her events as a result of an injury. Jones pulled a leg muscle coming out of the block and eventually collapsed in pain. "It's a sad blow for Debbie," said track manager Earl Hart at the time. "We could not take the risk of her damaging her leg muscle more seriously."

In the 100 metres Dennis Trott reached the quarter-finals where he finished 26th while Sharpe and Simons failed to get beyond the heats.

Following the Games BOA president Reggie Cooper spoke of the crying need for proper facilities for young people. Of Hill's bronze medal he said: "He proved we can produce boxers with the meanest of facilities, but to inspire young people these days you have got to make it possible for them to train and for this you have to have a proper gym."

 

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