Personal information | |
---|---|
Born | Ballymena, Northern Ireland | 26 February 1945
Died | 14 August 2012 | (aged 67)
Billy Kerr (26 February 1945 – 14 August 2012) was an Irish cyclist. [1] [2] He competed in the individual road race event at the 1980 Summer Olympics. [3]
Kerr was born in February 1945 in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. [1] At the age of 16, Kerr was working in a local shoe factory and later joined the Ballymena Road Club. [2] However, as a junior cyclist, Kerr initially had to give up the sport due to a back injury. [4] After successful physiotherapy, Kerr won multiple club races and national championships in the 1970s. [4]
Kerr's took part in the road race and team pursuit events at the 1978 Commonwealth Games, his first international races. [1] Four years later, at the 1982 Commonwealth Games, Kerr was part of the team that finished in fourth place in the team time trial. [1] He also competed at three editions of the UCI World Championships in the late 1970s and early 1980s. [1] Kerr was part of the Irish team for the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, finishing in 41st place in the individual road race. [2] [5] [6] [7]
In 1980, Kerr won the King of the Mountains classification in the Milk Race, [2] and in 1982, Kerr won the Tour of Ireland. [1] [8] At the Irish National Cycling Championships, Kerr won the men's time trial in 1981, and the men's road race in 1982. [9] Kerr was also a two-time winner of the Tour of Ulster. [10] [11]
Kerr died in August 2012 following a short illness, at the age of 67. [12] [13]