Sir Kirani Zeno James, GCNG, CBE, COG, OLY, LHD
Sir Kirani hails from Gun Battle, Gouyave, where he and his friends played football, basketball, cricket. He attributes his focus on athletics to his teachers and the coach of Speed Zone, Mr. Albert Joseph.
Although Gun Battle was a tough neighborhood, the community had a profound sense of values and respect for elders and each other. His mother, the late Annie James, known in Gouyave as Ms. Pamela, was a guiding influence in his life, and Kirani attributes a lot of who he is today to that guidance. After Kirani’s first local race he had an award of choosing an item from a tray at the finish, and he remembers choosing a pair of green socks, which he treasured.
At 13 years old, Kirani won his first major competitive race, the Caribbean Union of Teachers Competition held in St. Lucia, in 2006. There, he won gold in the 400 and a silver in the 200 meter races. He was especially proud of beating competitors from the larger countries where athletics was well established, such as Jamaica, Bahamas, Barbados and Trinidad. This win gave him the confidence that track could play an important part in his life.
Giving up the other sports to focus on athletics, he quickly established himself winning medals at the CARIFTA, The World Youth, the World Juniors and Commonwealth Youth games. While attending the University of Alabama on a sport scholarship, he was mentored and coached by the late Harvey Glance.
He became the first 400 meter runner ever to reach the final in four successive Olympic games; having won gold at the London Olympics, silver in the Rio Olympics, bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, and as a finalist at the Paris Olympics. Through dogged determination, and an unflinching vision, he is determined to compete at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, California.
In 2018, Sir Kirani James joined the WINDREF Board of Directors and on December 1st 2025, became our President with unanimous approval at the Board of Directors meeting.
He was present at the 2010 House of Lords Dinner two years before he won a gold medal at the London Olympics in 2012. Sir Kirani has played a very positive role in WINDREF’s Baroness Howells Sports for Health program, which was launched at the House of Lords in 2010. We are delighted that Sir Kirani has assumed the WINDREF presidency.
The WINDREF Board with some of the attendees at the House of Lord’s dinner. From left to right: Trevor Noël, Karen Lawson, Royston La Hee, Lord Seb Coe, Kirani James, Calum Macpherson, Lord Soulsby, Richard Summerfield, Margaret Lambert, Charles Modica, Baroness Howells, Patrick Orr. House of Lords 10th November 2010.
Through his positive messaging of eating well, getting plenty of sleep, and daily exercise, he was inducted into the Gamma Kappa Chapter of the Delta Omega Honor Society following his Commencement Speech at St. George’s University on January 31st 2026.
Sir Kirani James at St. George’s University Commencement with Dr. Calum Macpherson and Dr. Trevor Noel
Sir Kirani James Commencement Speech at St George’s University. January 2026