Wyatt Randal JONES

A Hawai’i native, Wyatt Jones attended the University of Hawai’i and competed for the Hawai’i Canoe and Kayak Club. In 1990 he won three titles in flatwater canoeing at the US Nationals. He also competed that year at the Pan American Games, finishing fourth in C2-1,000.

Unfortunately, Jones is best known for an incident that occurred only a few days before the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. On a beach at Castelldefels, 12 miles south of Barcelona, where the flatwater events were to be held, Jones and US teammate Brad Yim, an alternate to the US team, were playing with some fireworks. They lit what was described as a “professional grade pyrotechnic device” and it fizzled, not taking off, instead exploding on the ground. The device killed Yim, and injured Jones, rupturing his eardrum.