Lloyd LaBeach

Lloyd LaBeach was a Panamanian sprinter who won bronze medals in the 100 and 200 metres at the 1948 London Olympics, the first Olympic medals for Panama. LaBeach attended the University of Wisconsin in the United States, finishing sixth in the long jump and second in the 100 and 220 yards at the 1946 NCAA Championships. He later transferred to UCLA, running for them, and would be world-ranked #1 in both the 100 and 200 in 1950. LaBeach won seven medals at the Central American and Caribbean Games, including gold medals in the 1946 long jump and 4x100 relay and the 1950 4x400 relay.

LaBeach became an American citizen in 1951 and worked in the dairy industry, both in Jamaica and Southern California. In 1965 he was named managing director of Foremost Dairies in Nigeria and he moved to Lagos to manage one of Nigeria’s largest dairies. He later established an import-export agricultural product business in Lagos.

LaBeach was later interred at the National Sanctuary of Panama in Panama City. The Panamanian Government awarded him their most prestigious medal – the Order of Vazco Nuñez de Balboa. In 2008 he was posthumously elected to the Central American and Caribbean Athletics Confederation Hall of Fame.

Personal Bests: 100 – 10.2 (1948); 200 – 20.7 (1950).