Hasely Joachim Crawford was born on 16 August 1950 in San Fernando, Trinidad, and came to track and field relatively late, not beginning serious competition until age 17, a slower start than most of the sprinters he would later face on the world stage.
Crawford competed in the 1972 Munich Olympics but failed to advance past the opening rounds, and reached the 100 metres final at the 1976 Montreal Games only after his coach devised a strategy of limiting his races throughout the season to preserve his peak form.
On 24 July 1976, running in lane one at the Montreal Olympic Stadium, Crawford won the men's 100 metres final in 10.06 seconds, narrowly defeating Jamaica's Don Quarrie by just 0.02 seconds to become Trinidad and Tobago's first-ever Olympic gold medallist.
Crawford's victory made him a national hero, inspiring calypsoes composed in his honour and cementing his status as one of Trinidad and Tobago's most celebrated athletes; he remained the nation's sole Olympic gold medallist for 36 years, until Keshorn Walcott's javelin victory at the 2012 London Games.
Crawford was awarded the Trinity Cross, the nation's highest honour, in 1976, and was later named Trinidad and Tobago's Athlete of the Millennium in 2000; he went on to work in community relations and has continued to serve as an ambassador for athletics in his home country.
- Trinidad and Tobago's first-ever Olympic gold medallist, 1976
- Won the 100 metres final at the Montreal Olympics in 10.06 seconds
- National 100m champion on six occasions
- Remained Trinidad and Tobago's sole Olympic gold medallist for 36 years
- Named Trinidad and Tobago's Athlete of the Millennium, 2000
- A late start does not preclude ultimate success. Crawford did not begin serious track competition until age 17, yet went on to win Olympic gold.
- Strategic restraint can preserve peak performance. His coach's decision to limit his races throughout the 1976 season helped Crawford peak at exactly the right moment.