Ronald Joseph Forbes (born 5 April 1985) is a track athlete from the Cayman Islands.
Forbes is an All American 110 meter hurdler and 60 meter hurdler who competed collegiality for Florida International University from 2005 to 2008 . Forbes went on to pursue a professional track and field career competing in the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Summer Olympics. Forbes has competed in the 2011 and 2015 Athletics World Championships. Indoors, Forbes has qualified and competed 2010 and 2012 World Indoor Athletics Championships. Forbes has competed in the 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018 Commonwealth Games. During the opening ceremonies for the 2008 and 2016 Summer Olympics he was the flag-bearer for the Cayman Islands.
He took up athletics when he was 14 as a discus thrower and shot putter, because he hoped it would give him the opportunity for travel and a scholarship. He eventually earned a scholarship in 2004 to Bacone College in Muskogee Oklahoma where he became the Red River Athletic Conference champion in the 400 meter hurdles and after a year, transferred to Florida International University. During his time at Florida International University, he was a two time All American, finishing 3rd in the 2008 NCAA Indoor Championships and 8th in the 2008 NCAA Outdoor Championships. He is currently the Cayman Islands National Record Holder and the Florida International University Record Holder in the 55, 60 and 110 meter hurdles. In 2017 he was awarded the honor of having the Football Stadium in his home district of North side renamed to The Ronald J Forbes Playing Field; in the same year he has been recognized as a National Sports hero in the Cayman Islands.
Personal bests
Outdoor 200 m: 21.65 s (wind: +0.3 m/s) – Coral Gables, United States, 12 April 2008 110 m hurdles: 13.36 s (wind: +0.4 m/s) – Clermont, United States, 30 April 2016 400 m hurdles: 52.79 s – New Orleans, United States, 15 May 2005
Indoor 60 m hurdles: 7.58 s – Fayetteville, United States, 14 March 2008 200 m: 22.33 s – Gainesville, United States, 26 January 2008
Achievements Forbes is the Cayman Islands and Florida International University 110 metres hurdles (outdoor), 60 metres hurdles (indoor) and 55 metres hurdles (indoor) record holder.
Representing the 2000CARIFTA Games (U17)St. George's, Grenada5th100 m hurdles (91.4 cm)13.64 (+1.8 m/s)Central American and Caribbean JuniorChampionships (U17)San Juan, Puerto Rico7th100 m hurdles (91.4 cm)14.17 w (+4.0 m/s)6th400 m hurdles (84.0 cm)1:03.862001CARIFTA Games (U17)Bridgetown, Barbados5th100 m hurdles (91.4 cm)13.73 (-2.3 m/s)5th (h)400 m hurdles59.74Central American and Caribbean ChampionshipsGuatemala City, Guatemala7th4 × 100 m relay40.99 A2002CARIFTA Games (U20)Nassau, Bahamas5th400 m hurdles54.615th4 × 400 m relay3:26.78Central American and Caribbean JuniorChampionships (U20)Bridgetown, Barbados6th (h)400 m hurdles55.51Central American and Caribbean GamesSan Salvador, El Salvador7th400 m hurdles55.012003CARIFTA Games (U20)Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago5th400 m hurdles54.396th4 × 100 m relay42.076th4 × 400 m relay3:28.35Island GamesSaint Peter Port, Guernsey4th400 m hurdles53.982004CARIFTA Games (U20)Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago2nd400 m hurdles53.634th4 × 100 m relay42.955th4 × 400 m relay3:31.89Central American and Caribbean JuniorChampionships (U20)Coatzacoalcos, Mexico3rd400 m hurdles53.805th4 × 100 m relay42.712005Central American and Caribbean ChampionshipsNassau, Bahamas11th (h)110 m hurdles14.49 (-0.7 m/s) —400 m hurdlesDNF2006Commonwealth GamesMelbourne, Australia16th (h)110 m hurdles14.35 (NWI)12th (h)4 × 100 m relay40.76NACAC Under-23 ChampionshipsSanto Domingo, Dominican Republic6th110 m hurdles14.44 (+1.1 m/s)Central American and Caribbean GamesCartagena, Colombia10th (h)110 m hurdles14.42 w (+2.1 m/s)2008Central American and Caribbean ChampionshipsCali, Colombia5th110 m hurdles13.71 w A (+2.3 m/s)Olympic GamesBeijing, China26th (qf)110 m hurdles13.72 (+0.1 m/s)2010World Indoor ChampionshipsDoha, Qatar20th (sf)60m hurdles7.91Central American and Caribbean GamesMayagüez, Puerto Rico7th110 m hurdles14.34 (-0.1 m/s)Commonwealth GamesDelhi, India6th110 m hurdles13.84 (+0.1 m/s) —4 × 100 m relayDQ2011Central American and Caribbean ChampionshipsMayagüez, Puerto Rico9th (h)110 m hurdles14.18 (-3.9 m/s)World ChampionshipsDaegu, South Korea11th (sf)110 m hurdles13.67 (-1.6 m/s)2012World Indoor ChampionshipsIstanbul, Turkey21st (h)60m hurdles7.95Olympic GamesLondon, United Kingdom8th (h)110 m hurdles14.21 (+0.8 m/s)2014Commonwealth GamesGlasgow, United Kingdom5th (h)110 m hurdles13.89 (-0.2 m/s)Central American and Caribbean GamesXalapa, Mexico5th (h)110 m hurdles14.51 A (-1.6 m/s)2015NACAC ChampionshipsSan José, Costa Rica6th (sf)110 m hurdles13.77 (+1.2 m/s)Island GamesSt Clement, Jersey1st110 m hurdles13.62 (+2.3 m/s)World ChampionshipsBeijing, China30th (h)110 m hurdles13.782016Olympic GamesRio de Janeiro, Brazil35th (h)110 m hurdles14.672018Commonwealth GamesGold Coast, Australia11th (h)110 m hurdles13.88
References
External links
Ronald Forbes' profile at Florida International University Athletics Sports reference biography