Lester Carney

{{short description|American sprinter}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2014}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Les Carney

|image=Lester Carney, Livio Berruti, Abdoulaye Seye 1960.jpg

| image_size =270px

|caption=Lester Carney (left) at the 1960 Olympics

| fullname = Lester Nelson Carney

| birth_date = {{birth-date and age|March 31, 1934}}

| birth_place = Bellaire, Ohio, U.S.

| headercolor = lightsteelblue

| height = {{convert|1.78|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|75|kg|lb|abbr=on}}

|sport=Athletics

|event=Sprint

|pb=100 yd – 9.6 (1959)
100 m – 10.3 (1956)
200 m – 20.69 (1960)

|club=Akron Track Club

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry | {{USA}}}}

{{MedalOlympic}}

{{MedalSilver | 1960 Rome | 200 m}}

{{MedalCompetition|Pan American Games}}

{{MedalSilver | 1959 Chicago | 200 m}}

}}

Lester Nelson "Les" Carney (born March 31, 1934) is a retired American sprinter who won a silver medal in the 200 m at the 1960 Summer Olympics, ahead of two team members who beat him at the Olympic trials. He won another silver in this event at the 1959 Pan American Games.{{cite sports-reference | url = https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ca/les-carney-1.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200417174334/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ca/les-carney-1.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = April 17, 2020 | name = Les Carney | accessdate = July 30, 2014}}{{cite news|first=Nate|last=Ulrich|title=90-year-old ex-Olympian remains an inspiration|url=https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/sports/2024/07/25/olympics-2024-paris-summer-games-akron-lester-carney-track-and-field/74322435007/|work=Akron Beacon Journal|date=July 25, 2024|access-date=July 29, 2024|url-access=subscription}}

Carney also played American football at Ohio University. He was drafted by the Baltimore Colts in 1958 but never played professionally. After retiring from sports he worked as a buyer of sporting goods for the M. O'Neil Co. department store chain in Akron, Ohio.

On October 2, 2015, Indian Creek High School (formerly known as Wintersville High School) in Wintersville, Ohio, named its new track and field after the Olympic silver medalist. The field is now the Lester Carney Track at Kettlewell Stadium.{{cite news|author=Staff|title=Dedication|url=https://www.heraldstaronline.com/sports/local-sports/2015/10/dedication/|work=Herald-Star|date=October 4, 2015|access-date=July 29, 2024}}