Sports Commentary Jamaica -An Analysis of Olympic Track and Field Performances; Home based training v Training Abroad

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By Dale Brown

NEW YORK, NY. Tuesday, May 12, 2020 --- Jamaica started competing at the Summer Olympic Games in London, in 1948 and immediately had success in the Track events with Arthur Wint winning the 400m gold and a silver medal in the 800m. Herb McKenley won the silver medal in the 400m.

1952 Helsinki games brought more success as George Rhoden won gold in the 400m. McKinley won silver medals in the 100m and 400m, while Wint won the 800m silver medal. The 4x400m relay team of Wint, Leslie Laing, McKenley and Rhoden, left an indelible mark on the Games as McKenley ran a phenomenal 3rd leg to spur the team to a memorable victory.

Starting in 1948, Jamaica participated in 17 of the next 18 editions of the games. The exception being 1960 when the Jamaican athletes represented the newly formed West Indies Federation.

Overall Performance

Jamaica has won 77 Track and Field medals at the Summer Olympics Games. This total is the 9th highest among all nations and includes 22 Gold medals (8th all-time), 35 silver and 20 bronze.  

The women have led the way by winning a total of 42 medals (32 individuals and 10 relays). The men have won 35 medals – 27 individuals and 8 relays.

There is an exclusive club of 30 athletes, 16 women and 14 men who have won individual medals for Jamaica.


QUEEN MERLENE. Merlene Ottey remains 
Jamaica’s most decorated athlete in Track & Field Athletics 
with 7 individual medals.

-         contributed
The most successful athletes by individual medals won are, Merlene Ottey 7; Usain Bolt 6 (all gold); Veronica Campbell- Brown 4; Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce 4; Wint, McKenley and Quarrie are tied with 3 each.

The Golden Era - 2008, 2012, 2016

The Golden The era of Jamaican Track and Field success started in 2008 (Beijing) and continued in 2012 (London) and 2016 (Rio/Brazil). The Caribbean nation won a total of 34 medals with 15 gold, 12 silver and 7 bronze medals in these three Olympic Games.

During this period, the USA won a total of 85 medals and Kenya won 42.  These are the only nations to win more medals than Jamaica (34).

The Impact of Training at home

In 2008, Jamaica trailed the USA (25) and Kenya (16) with 11 medals; 5 Gold, 4 silver and 2 bronze.

In 2012, Jamaica once again placed 3rd on the medal table behind the USA (28) and Kenya (13) with a total of 12 medals; 4 Gold, 5 silver, and 3 bronze medals.
In 2016, Jamaica won 11 medals with 6 gold, 3 silver, and 2 bronze, to once again finish behind the USA (32) and Kenya (13).

Only the USA with 29 gold medals have won more than Jamaica (15). The 15 Gold medals were won by Usain Bolt (6) 100/200 double in 2008, 2012 and 2016;    Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (2) 100m in 2008 and 2012;  Veronica Campbell-Brown (1) 200m in 2008;  Melaine Walker(1) in 2008 (400mH);  Elaine Thompson (2) in 2016 (100/200 double); Omar McLeod(1) in 2016 (110mH), Plus (2) in the 4x100 in 2012 and  2016.

The women-led the way with 20 medals (15 individual and 5 relays) while the men won 14 medals, (11 individual and 3 relay medals). It is significant that locally trained athletes accounted for 22 of the 26 individual medals.

By Comparison

When Jamaica participated in 14 editions of the games, from 1948 to 2004, the athletes won 7 Gold, 23 silver and 13 bronze for a total of 43 medals in Track and Field events.

The women’s team won 17 individual medals plus 5 relay medals and the men won 16 individual medals plus 5 relay medals. 

Note: All the individual medalists trained abroad.


THE ’48 QUINELA. Arthur Wint (left) breaks the tape ahead 
of Herb McKenley (right) in the 400m at 1948 
Summer Olympic Games in London, England.
-         contributed

The 7 Gold medals were won by Arthur Wint  400m (1948);  George Rhoden 400m  (1952); Donald Quarrie 200m  (1976);  Deon Hemmings 400H (1996); Veronica Campbell-Brown 200m (2004); plus 2 relay gold medals, one in 1952 by the men’s 4x400m team and the other by the women 4x100m team in 2004.

By the Numbers

We have seen a complete shift from the steady progress of the first 14 editions when Jamaica won 43 medals, to an absolute explosion in the last 3 editions of the Games when they won 34 medals.

Prior to 2008, all the individual medal winners were training outside of Jamaica. Starting in 2008, most of the individual medal winners were based in Jamaica and accounted for 84.61% of the individual medals won.

Credit for this accelerated rate of winning medals must be given to MVP Track Club which accounted for 10 of the 26 individual medals (38.46%) and also to Racers Track Club which accounted for 9 of the 26 for (34.61%)

Let us hope for continued success.

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Editor’s note: Dale Brown is a sports historian and co-host of the sports program SECOND BASE, now airing on Tuesdays at 7 – 8 pm, on the Wee Radio Network at; www.WeeRadioOnline.com.

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