Kirani James

Kirani James was born on 1 September 1992 in the fishing village of Gouyave, on the Caribbean island of Grenada. He first made his mark in athletics in his teens, recording the fastest ever 400 metres time by a 14-year-old and then running a world best again when he turned 15.

In 2009 he completed a 200m and 400m double at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Bressanone, Italy. Two years later, at 18, he became world 400 metres champion at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, one of the youngest ever to win the title.

At the London 2012 Olympics, James went as one of the favourites for gold and ran a personal best of 44.59 in the semi-final. In the final he won in 43.94, becoming the first non-American runner to run under 44 seconds in the event, and won Grenada's first-ever Olympic medal. 'Grenada will be going crazy right now,' he said afterwards. Following the semi-final he also exchanged name bibs with the South African runner Oscar Pistorius, a gesture of respect widely admired.

At Rio 2016 he won silver behind South Africa's Wayde van Niekerk in a race in which van Niekerk set a world record. He went on to win bronze at Tokyo 2020 and has competed at four Olympic Games, completing a full set of Olympic medals: gold, silver and bronze.

For a nation of just over 100,000 people, James has been a source of immense national pride. His London gold, the first for the island, opened a path for athletes across the Eastern Caribbean, and he remains one of the most successful quarter-milers of his generation.