Former Barbados Olympic athlete, Richard Louis, passed away on Friday in Florida, United States at 60 years old.

Louis was hailed as a sporting hero in Barbados as he was member of the 4x400 meters team alongside Elvis Forde, Clyde Edwards and David Peltier which placed 6th in the final of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, the first time in history Barbados competed in an Olympic finals event on any kind.

Louis also played cricket for the United States of America as a seam bowler and hard-hitting batsman, making 3 appearances in the 1990s.

While living in the USA, Louis, a graduate of Howard University, also performed the role of liaison officer when international cricket was played at the Broward Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.

Speaking on Friday, Philip Spooner, former West Indies media manager remembered Louis as an outstanding athlete who loved all sports.

“Richard was a very humble and kind gentleman who always put others first. He was always willing to help and assist anyone in need. I worked with him when the West Indies played T20 Internationals in USA and his professionalism and knowledge ensured that things were always in place and always on time,” Spooner said.

“He holds a special place in the sporting history of Barbados — being one of the Famous Four to run in that Olympic final. People in Barbados still talk about more than 40 years later. Not many know that he was also an excellent cricketer who was good enough to represent USA, so he holds a unique sporting history. I don’t think we can find many people who ran in an Olympic final and played top flight cricket. I offer my condolences to his family and friends,” he added.