Jamaicans are either among the world’s most fickle people, or those accustomed to the best of times.
Responding to relatively poor performances of Jamaican athletes at the recently concluded London World Championships the comments of some Jamaicans were very ungracious, to say the least. These included the same people who cheered and jumped hoops when Jamaicans had superlative performances at Olympics and World Championships over the past decade.
Lulled into high expectations
There’s no doubt about it. The performance of Jamaican athletes in London was disappointing. It was particularly disappointing because Jamaicans have developed very high expectations. They were lulled into expecting nothing but the best from the legendary Usain Bolt, and the brilliance of athletes like Veronica Campbell-Brown, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and more recently Elaine Thompson.
Only four medals
In London, Jamaica won only four medals, the worst medal haul since the 1993 Helsinki World Champs, when Jamaica won three medals. Before Dion Hemmings won gold in the 400 meters hurdles at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, Jamaica hadn’t won an Olympic gold medal since 1976 when sprinter Donald Quarrie won gold at the Montreal Olympics.
In between, Jamaicans grew accustomed to celebrating bronze and silver medals, or just an athlete making it to an Olympic final.
Then since the Athens Olympics in 2004, through intervening Olympics and World Championships to the Rio Olympics in 2016, Jamaica became a team to reckon with especially in the sprints.
Father Time and injuries
However, in life, time and injuries take their toll. Father-Time reached out its withered hands to embrace the seemingly unbeatable Bolt. His bronze medal in the 100 meters wasn’t so much due to the brilliance of his nemesis Justin Gatlin but from legs grown weary. The same weary legs succumbed to an overburdened muscle just when Bolt seemed he would win his final medal in the 4 x 100 relay.
Elaine Thompson ruled women sprints since she won the 100 and 200 meters in the Rio Olympics. However, a troublesome Achilles tendon, and stomach problems prevented her from medaling in the 100 meters, and out of the women sprint relay.
Kudos
Kudos go to Omar McLeod who gave Jamaica its only gold medal in London in the 110 meters hurdles; 400 meters hurdler Ristianna Tracey and the women 4 x 100 relay team that won win bronze medals.
Where blame is justified is to female quarter-miler Stephanie Ann McPherson who refused to compete on the 4 x 400 meters relay team after a row with another athlete. Most likely her indiscipline cost Jamaica a medal in the relay finals. The young athlete who subbed for her pulled up and was out the race possibly because she was insufficiently warmed-up to run.
The onus is now on Jamaica’s athletic officials to ensure utmost discipline be maintained on Jamaican teams.
Promise of young athletes
Despite the injuries, and under performances at London there’s no reason for Jamaicans to believe the pre-1996 days are back. Many of the young athletes who performed in London although they didn’t medal showed promise of being strong contenders in the near future. Plus, there are young athletes who didn’t make the team to London who excelled in the recent Youth Championships in Kenya and are on the periphery for big games competition.
A silver lining, of sorts, in London was performance of Jamaicans in non-traditional events like the men 5,000 meters and women steeplechase. Jamaican made the finals in both these events. Promise was also shown in the women 800 meters, women shot-putt where the athlete barely missed a bronze medal, and men discuss.
The London championship managed to shake Jamaican athletics out of complacency. The successes since 2008 lent Jamaica the moniker, “Land of Sprinters,” but this doesn’t mean medals come automatically.
To maintain standards set since 2004, the young, promising athletes must commit themselves to relentless training, preparation, and self-discipline. This commitment must also come from coaches, and officials who govern track and field in Jamaica.
Jamaican athletes took some serious blows in the London World Championships but they are far from out. To quote a popular Jamaican cliché, “Dem just have fi weel an come again.”
