The Most Famous
ATHLETES from Barbados
Top 6
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Barbadian Athletes of all time. This list of famous Barbadian Athletes is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Obadele Thompson (b. 1976)
With an HPI of 38.51, Obadele Thompson is the most famous Barbadian Athlete. His biography has been translated into 25 different languages on wikipedia.
Obadele "Oba" Thompson BSS (born 30 March 1976) is a Barbados-born former sprinter, lawyer, author, and speaker. He won Barbados's first and only Olympic medal as an independent country by placing third in the 100 metres at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He is a three-time Olympian (1996, 2000, and 2004), and a finalist at each Olympics. His personal best performances are 9.87 seconds for the 100 m, 19.97 seconds for the 200 metres (both Barbadian records), and 45.38 seconds for the 400 metres. He has held the indoor 55 metres world record (5.99 sec.) since 1997.Obadele's Olympic success followed an outstanding collegiate career at the University of Texas-El Paso (UTEP) where he amassed several prestigious awards for his academics, athletics, and leadership. As a collegian, he won four individual NCAA sprint titles: indoor 200 m (1996 and 1997) and the outdoor 100 and 200 metres (1997). He set two NCAA records: indoor 55 m (1997) and indoor 200 m (1996). He established two world records: 55 m (1997) and the World Junior 100 m (1994). In 1996, he ran the then-fastest 100 m recorded under all conditions (a windy 9.69 sec.).He was an eleven-time NCAA All-American and a sixteen-time Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Champion. Thompson won several Athlete of the Year awards, including the UTEP Athlete of the Year (1996 and 1997), US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division I Male Indoor Athlete of the Year (1997), and the Stan Bates WAC Male Student-Athlete of the Year (1997). He has also been listed as one of UTEP's all-time top 10 male athletes.Thompson was a three-time USTFCCCA Academic All-American (1995–1997). In 1996, he became a member of Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) honor society, the highest recognition business students worldwide can receive from an Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accredited business program. In 1997, he was named a College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) First-Team At-Large Academic All-American (formerly the GTE First-Team At-Large Academic All-American award) and received the State of Texas Certificate of Merit for his exemplary achievement in academics and athletics. In 1998, he became a UTEP Alumni Association Top Ten Senior awardee, and received the NCAA Today's Top VIII Award (now the NCAA Today's Top 10) for outstanding leadership, athletics and academics, along with two-time NFL Super Bowl Champion, Peyton Manning, who attended the University of Tennessee. After retiring from a decade-long professional athletics career, Thompson published his first book, Secrets of a Student-Athlete: A Reality Check, which was endorsed by legendary Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski. Thompson was a keynote speaker at the official launch of the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup in Barbados and has participated in leadership development programs, including with the West Indies Cricket Team. He has also served variously as a speaker and panellist on matters related to sports management, performance, and anti-doping. Thompson was inducted into the UTEP Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2007, and into the UTEP Athletics and Drake Relays Halls of Fame in 2011. He graduated from UTEP summa cum laude in economics and marketing and received his Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the University of Texas School of Law. He practices international arbitration and litigation.
2. Beverley Goddard (b. 1956)
With an HPI of 30.96, Beverley Goddard is the 2nd most famous Barbadian Athlete. Her biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Beverley Lanita Callender (née Goddard, born 28 August 1956) is an English former track and field sprinter. She competed for Great Britain at the Olympic Games in Montreal 1976, Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984, winning bronze medals in the 4 x 100 metres relay in 1980 and 1984. She is also the 1981 World Student Games 100 metres champion.
3. Marita Payne (b. 1960)
With an HPI of 30.24, Marita Payne is the 3rd most famous Barbadian Athlete. Her biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
Marita Payne-Wiggins (born October 7, 1960) is a Canadian former track and field athlete who competed in two consecutive Summer Olympics. She is the co-Canadian record holder in the 400 metres, along with Jillian Richardson, and previously held the Canadian record in the 200 metres.
4. Jim Wedderburn (b. 1938)
With an HPI of 29.74, Jim Wedderburn is the 4th most famous Barbadian Athlete. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
James Wedderburn (born 23 June 1938) was a Barbadian athlete who competed mainly in the 400 metres. He competed for the British West Indies in the 1960 Summer Olympics held in Rome, Italy in the 4 x 400 metre relay where he won the bronze medal with his team mates from Jamaica Malcolm Spence, Keith Gardner and George Kerr.
5. Ryan Brathwaite (b. 1988)
With an HPI of 29.26, Ryan Brathwaite is the 5th most famous Barbadian Athlete. His biography has been translated into 25 different languages.
Ryan Brathwaite (born June 6, 1988) is a track and field athlete from Barbados who won the gold medal in the 110 metres hurdles at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics in Berlin. In recognition of his achievements, on September 17, 2009 Brathwaite was given the honour of being an ambassador while formally receiving the title Ambassador His Excellency Ryan Brathwaite.He is from the Hillaby district in the parish of St. Andrew. Although he shares a birthplace, surname and speciality with Shane Brathwaite, the two are not related.
6. Sada Williams (b. 1997)
With an HPI of 25.09, Sada Williams is the 6th most famous Barbadian Athlete. Her biography has been translated into 20 different languages.
Sada Williams (SHAH-day; born 1 December 1997) is a Barbadian sprinter competing primarily in the 200 and 400 metres. She won the bronze medal in the 400 m at the 2022 World Championships, becoming the first Barbadian woman ever to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships. Williams took a gold in the event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. She represented her country at the 2017 World Athletics Championships without reaching the semifinals. Williams competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.She had a breakthrough 2022 season, finishing third in the 400 m at the World Championships Eugene 2022 in July. She improved her own national record to 49.75 seconds, coming home only behind Shaunae Miller-Uibo (49.11 s) and Marileidy Paulino who ran a time of 49.60 s. About two weeks later at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Williams won the title in a Games record time of 49.90 seconds. She continued her fine season in August by claiming silver behind only Miller-Uibo (49.40 s) at the NACAC Championships in Freeport, Bahamas, with a time of 49.86 seconds.
People
Pantheon has 6 people classified as Barbadian athletes born between 1938 and 1997. Of these 6, 5 (83.33%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Barbadian athletes include Obadele Thompson, Beverley Goddard, and Marita Payne. The most famous deceased Barbadian athletes include Jim Wedderburn. As of April 2024, 3 new Barbadian athletes have been added to Pantheon including Beverley Goddard, Jim Wedderburn, and Sada Williams.
Living Barbadian Athletes
Go to all Rankings
Obadele Thompson
1976 - Present
HPI: 38.51
Beverley Goddard
1956 - Present
HPI: 30.96
Marita Payne
1960 - Present
HPI: 30.24
Ryan Brathwaite
1988 - Present
HPI: 29.26
Sada Williams
1997 - Present
HPI: 25.09
Deceased Barbadian Athletes
Go to all RankingsNewly Added Barbadian Athletes (2024)
Go to all RankingsBeverley Goddard
1956 - Present
HPI: 30.96
Jim Wedderburn
1938 - Present
HPI: 29.74
Sada Williams
1997 - Present
HPI: 25.09
