Ron Jones

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameRonald "Ron"•Jones
Used nameRon•Jones
Born19 August 1934 in Aberdare, Wales (GBR)
Died30 December 2021 in Cambridge, England (GBR)
Measurements180 cm / 78 kg
AffiliationsWoodford Green AC, Woodford Green (GBR) / Enfield Harriers, Enfield (GBR)
NOC Great Britain

Biography

Ron Jones was a late starter in athletics and only ran seriously for the first time at the age of 22 in 1956. That season he won a surprise victory in the 100 yards Welsh Championship in only his third ever race at the distance, having started the season as a 440 yards runner. This was the first of eight Welsh titles over 100 yards/metres, a feat that eclipsed Ken Jones’ record of seven from the 1950s. In contrast, Ron Jones’ only GBR title came in the twilight of his career, as a 34-year old in 1969.

Jones was a valuable team member at nine major championships, two Olympic Games, three European Championships, and four Commonwealth Games and, although he never reached an individual final, he was a valuable member of relay teams. Indeed, his finest moment on the track came when he was a member of a British 4 x 110 yard quartet that not only beat an American team containing Bob Hayes but also set a world record of 40.0 seconds.

The sprint relay provided Jones with his only two major championship medals, bronze with Great Britain at the 1962 European Championships and the same colour medal with Wales later in the year at the British Empire Games.

He retired immediately after the 1970 Commonwealth Games but went to hold the Welsh 100m record for 27 years until it was beaten by world champion sprint hurdler Colin Jackson.

Jones the made his career in football club administration, serving as chief executive of Queen’s Park Rangers, managing director of Cardiff City (as the first paid director in British football) and Portsmouth FC then later as chairman of the charity, Sports Aid Cymru. He was inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame in 2013 and had the Ron Jones Athletic Stadium in his home town of Aberdare named in his honour.

Personal Best: 100 – 10.42 (1968).

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1964 Summer Olympics Athletics GBR Ron Jones
4 × 100 metres Relay, Men (Olympic) Great Britain 8
1968 Summer Olympics Athletics GBR Ron Jones
100 metres, Men (Olympic) 6 h1 r2/4
4 × 100 metres Relay, Men (Olympic) Great Britain 5 h1 r2/3

Special Notes