The Olympic Games is undoubtedly the biggest sporting spectacle in the Universe, with the largest number of athletes, the greatest variety of sports, and fierce competition. While the games cover a plethora of individual and team sports which delight international sporting palates, perhaps the most exciting arena for the Games is the Olympic Stadium, site of the track and field competition. It is in this area that Caribbean athletes have made the most significant impact in competition at the Olympic Games since 1948 and certainly will continue to make strides at the next Olympiad in Greece in 2004.


How it all started
The first Olympic medals won by Caribbean athletes was at the 1948 Games in London, England. Jamaica entered a small team but their performance loomed large in the early post-war period. To have won one gold medal and two silvers in those Games was not only phenomenal, it was historic. This performance by Jamaica placed them third overall in the track and field standings for men behind the United States and Sweden.

When the performance of the Jamaican team is analyzed closely, it is mind-boggling. In the final of the men's 400 metres, Jamaica had two athletes, Herb McKenley and Arthur Wint, with the former being a slight favourite. In an epic race, Wint came out on top followed by McKenley. Can you imagine, a tiny Caribbean island in its first Olympic Games, gaining the first two places in one of the prestigious track and field events? The packed stadium in London was agog at the performance of the Jamaican athletes.

Arthur Wint came back to win the silver medal in the men's 800 metres event and the Jamaican team was on course for a gold medal in the mile relay before an injury to Wint jolted their chances. It was a great start to the Olympic Games by Caribbean athletes and the Jamaicans had set a hectic pace. The performances of McKenley and Wint in 1948 had alerted the rest of the world to the fact that the Jamaicans were a tough bunch and were a force to reckon with in Olympic track and field competition. It was a launching pad that was to propel countless other athletes from the region to Olympic Glory and stardom.


More of the same Only the United States of America performed better than Jamaica in men's track and field competition at the Olympic Games in 1952 in Helsinki, Finland. The U.S. had 14 gold, 10 silver and 6 bronze medals, while the Jamaicans achieved 2 gold medals and three silvers. The hero of the Games was the incomparable Herbert McKenley. Not only did he become the first man ever to make the finals of the 100 metres, 200 metres and 400 metres in the same Olympic Games, but he competed with a fighting spirit that would have made the early pioneers of the Olympic Games proud. Herb, as he is popularly called was a dynamic competitor and he put a stamp of class on the 1952 Games, that is still evident 42 years later.

In the men's 400 metres race, Jamaica again occupied the first two places for the second Olympic Games in a row. This time George Rhoden ran a superb race to just edge Herb McKenley for the silver medal. In another superb effort, Herb ran fourth in the 200 metres, but it was the finals of the 100 metres which was to have the packed Helsinki Stadium on the edge of their seats.

McKenley and Lindy Remigino of the United States ran a super race and initially it appeared that Herb had won his first Olympic gold medal. However, after close scrutiny of the photo finish, the race was awarded to the American. The epic battle between the Jamaicans and the Americans continued on the track in the 4x400 metres relay.

The Jamaican team of Les Laing, Arthur Wint, Herb McKenley and George Rhoden (in that running order) knew it was going to be a challenge to defeat the hard running Americans. Laing started out well and handed over to Arthur Wint, who also performed creditably, but the Americans had built up a huge lead of almost 15 metres when Herb McKenley started the third leg. Then, in one of the most amazing and awe-inspiring relay legs in Olympic history, McKenley not only made up the stagger but gave Jamaica's anchorman, George Rhoden a lead, which he preserved for a stunning gold medal. The 1952 Olympic Games truly marked the beginning of decades of Olympic rivalry in track and field competition between the Americans and the Jamaicans.


An off-year for Jamaica
The Olympic Games "down under" in Australia in 1956 did not provide much Olympic glory for Jamaica as our athletes failed to win a medal.


Trinidad, Tobago open an account
The Games in Rome, Italy in 1960 was another successful one for Jamaica. Jamaica gained one bronze and shared another at the Games to continue their proud tradition. In its first four Olympic Games, the tiny island had won ten medals, comprising three gold, five silver and two bronze.


Credible performance
In the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, we again had another off year, not winning any medals although performing creditably.

Jamaicans strike back
The potency of the Jamaican sprinting talent was in evidence at the high altitude Olympics in Mexico City. The Jamaican team smashed the world record for the sprint relay in the preliminary rounds, but misfortune struck in the finals to deny them gold medal glory. However, a member of the relay team, Lennox Miller, did not go away empty-handed as he landed the silver medal in the men's 100 metres event. The Jamaicans were highly regarded as every time they set foot on the track; there was a buzz in the Olympic stadium.

Jamaica shines again
Jamaica secures yet another bronze medal to keep its rich Olympic history alive


Quarrie, the star
The flags of Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago fluttered and danced gleefully in Montreal, Canada in 1976 as two stars of the track brought glory to the region. In the men's 100 metres final, Donald Quarrie of Jamaica and Haseley Crawford of Trinidad and Tobago sent the Olympic stadium in a frenzy and left the Caribbean people in a state of stupor as they went down to the wire in a nail-biting finish. Crawford won the gold, the first for Trinidad, while Quarrie had to be satisfied with the silver. However, Quarrie stormed back to win the gold in the men's 200 metres final, to end the Games with two medals. The fact that these are the last two gold medals won by athletes from Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago also points to the outstanding achievements of both men. It was definitely a treat for regional fans.

Ottey era begins
The Moscow Olympic Games in the former Soviet Union was extremely significant for a teenaged schoolgirl from Jamaica as she shocked the track and field world by becoming the first woman from the English-speaking Caribbean to win an Olympic medal. Merlene Ottey arrived in Moscow as a shy, unknown schoolgirl, but left a national hero and her sparkling career continues 20 years later. Her bronze was the only bright spark for Jamaica on the track in Moscow. David Weller also brought joy to the region when he won the first Olympic medal for cycling, a bronze.


More medals for Jamaica
The success of the Jamaicans at the Olympics continued in Los Angeles as the men's sprint relay team, with veteran sprinter Don Quarrie and schoolboys Raymond Stewart and Gregory Meghoo, captured the silver medal behind the United States, led by outstanding long jumper and sprinter, Carl Lewis. Stewart had performed impressively in the 100 metres, winning every round until the finals where he placed sixth. Also in Los Angeles, Merlene Ottey continued to shine as she won a bronze medal in both the 100 metres and 200 metre events.


Two silvers for Jamaica
Grace Jackson-Small came out of the shadow of Merlene Ottey at the Seoul Olympics to win the silver medal in the 200 metres in 21.72 seconds. Ottey failed to gain a medal in what was expected to be a superb Olympics for her, but she was injured. Winthrop Graham earned a silver medal in the men's 400 metres hurdles event, leaving his home fans ecstatic.


Three silvers and a bronze for Jamaica
Jamaica won three silvers and a bronze Ð what else can we say about their superb performances.


Gold, silver and bronze
1996 was the year when Merlene Ottey was destined for greatness. It was her fifth Olympic Games. She was desperate to shrug off the title of "bronze" queen because of the plethora of bronze medals she won for sprinting in previous Olympics. Ottey was a tigress in the 100 metres final. American Gail Devers, known for her bullet starts got off to a flyer but Ottey ran her down and caught her at the tape. However the judges gave the race to Devers although both were times at 10.94 seconds. Ottey Ð silver in the 100 metres. Now it was time for the 200 metres Ð could Ottey win a gold medal at last.

Unfortunately, the Jamaican champion ran into a very fit and fast Marie Jose-Perec of France, the 400 metres champion. Ottey led coming into the final 100 metres but Perec was strong at the finish and won going away. Silver for Ottey in the 200 metres. It was her best ever effort in the Olympics.

However, Jamaican did have a golden moment in Atlanta when Deon Hemmings upset the predictions by winning the gold medal in the 400 metres hurdles. The womenÕs sprint relay team, anchored by Ottey also won a bronze medal. On the menÕs side, the top performer was
James Beckford with a silver in the long jump, while the four-time 400-relay team
secured the bronze.


Possible end to Ottey's era
At the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, Merlene Ottey returned for her sixth Olympic Games and remarkably was in the 100 metres finals again. Ottey was superb but just failed to hang on for a medal. She was just beaten into fourth place by compatriot Tayna Lawrence, who took home the bronze. Surely Sydney must be Ottey's last Olympic Games. She is a great Jamaican champion. Lorraine Graham took silver in the women's 400 metres final, just losing to the Australian hometown heroine, Cathy Freeman. Gregory Haughton was third in the men's 400 metres final. The women's sprint relay and the men's mile relay teams also secured medals for Jamaica.