Mel Spence

Mel Spence

Personal information
Born	Melville Spence 2 January 1936 Kingston, Jamaica
Died	28 October 2012(2012-10-28) (aged 76) Florida
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  British West Indies Pan American Games 1959 Chicago 4×400 m Representing Jamaica Pan American Games 1963 São Paulo 400 m 1963 São Paulo 4×400 m Commonwealth Games 1962 Perth 4x440 yards Central American and Caribbean Games 1962 Kingston 4×400 m 1962 Kingston 800 metres

Melville Spence (2 January 1936 – 28 October 2012) was a Jamaican sprinter who competed in the 1956 Summer Olympics and in the 1964 Summer Olympics. He is the twin brother of Mal Spence, an Olympic sprint medalist.

He was a relay silver medalist at the 1955 Pan American Games and was runner-up in the individual 400 m event at the 1963 Pan American Games. He was part of the winning Jamaican 4×400 metres relay team at the 1962 Central American and Caribbean Games.

Both Mel and his twin brother were recruited to run for Arizona State University during the civil rights movement of the late 1950s, among the first international athletes to come to the US for athletics.

International competitions

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing Jamaica
1955	Pan American Games	Mexico City, Mexico	6th (h)	200 m	22.19
			5th	400 m	48.84
			2nd	4 × 400 m relay	3:12.63
1956	Olympic Games	Melbourne, Australia	31st (h)	200 m	22.13
			10th (sf)	400 m	47.58
			8th (h)	4 × 400 m relay	3:11.01
1957	British West Indies Championships	Kingston, Jamaica	2nd	400 m	47.6
			2nd	800 m	1:51.1
			1st	4 × 100 m relay	41.9
			1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:14.0
1958	British Empire and Commonwealth Games	Cardiff, United Kingdom	30th (h)	440 y	50.2
1959	British West Indies Championships	Georgetown, British Guiana	3rd	400 m
			3rd	800 m
			1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:09.5
	Pan American Games1	Chicago, United States	4th	800 m	1:50.0
			1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:05.3
1960	British West Indies Championships	Kingston, Jamaica	3rd	400 m	47.1
1962	Central American and Caribbean Games	Kingston, Jamaica	2nd	800 m	1:53.0
			1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:11.6
	British Empire and Commonwealth Games	Perth, Australia	6th	440 y	47.8
			13th (h)	880 y	1:52.3
			1st	4 × 440 y relay	3:10.2
1963	Pan American Games	São Paulo, Brazil	2nd	400 m	46.94
			3rd	4 × 400 m relay	3:12.61
1964	Olympic Games	Tokyo, Japan	4th	4 × 400 m relay	3:02.3
1966	Central American and Caribbean Games	San Juan, Puerto Rico	1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:08.8
	British Empire and Commonwealth Games	Kingston, Jamaica	17th (h)	440 y	48.3

¹Representing British West Indies

External links

• Melville Spence at Olympics.com