Caribbean and Olympics 3

As far as most of the Caribbean is concerned, the “real” Olympics, meaning the athletics events, begins today, Friday, August 12. True, Caribbean athletes are taking part in many other sports in Rio, but it is in the athletics arena that the Caribbean really struts on the world stage. There are many other prestigious athletics competitions – the World Championships and the Diamond League series for instance – but none of them has the lure or the magic of the Olympics.{{more}}

The Caribbean first made its mark on the Olympic athletic stage in the very first Olympiad, the 1948 Games in war-battered London. There, Jamaica, (who else?), made the initial Caribbean imprint, when Arthur Wint (gold) and Herb McKenley (silver) finished one-two in the men’s 400 metre race. McKenley is still the holder of the remarkable record of making the finals of all three sprints. Four years later, Jamaica again defended the Caribbean title, this time in the person of George Rhoden and added the 4x400m relay crown to boot. There has been no looking back since then.

In particular, the example set by these early pioneers has been followed to the script, to the extent that seven decades later, we can truly say that the Caribbean has established dominance in the sprint races. Going into the 2016 battles, the Caribbean can claim a total of 14 gold medals in sprints (100, 200 and 400 metres), including relays, for males while Caribbean women have chalked up eight sprint victories. In the process they have challenged, and broken US hegemony in this sphere. If we add the 100 and 400 metre hurdles, there are five more golds (four male and one female) to the Caribbean tally. The incomparable Usain Bolt leads the list with four individual golds and his female compatriots Shelly-Ann Fraser and Veronica Campbell-Brown are equal with Alberto Juantorena of Cuba and Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic with two individual titles.

It is not only in sprints that the Caribbean has stamped its presence. Cuban women have won four gold medals in field events and the males a similar number, including Keshorne Walcott’s famous javelin victory in 2012. There have also been a number of impressive silver and bronze- medal field performances over the years.

It is also interesting to note that, in addition to those who have excelled while representing their countries of origin, the Caribbean genetic pool has brought rich rewards to some metropolitan countries from athletes who were either born in the Caribbean or have Caribbean parentage. Foremost among these is the Guadeloupe-born Marie-Jose Perec, who emigrated to France at the age of 16. She won three gold medals at the Games of 1988 and 1992, including the unbelievable “double” of 200 and 400 metres in 1988, before Michael Johnson did so eight years later. Britain also has a long line of achievements by athletes either born in the Caribbean, like Linford Christie, or with Caribbean connections, including the 2012 gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes, while the USA can count Sanya Richards-Ross and Garifuna descendant Marion Jones among its achievers.

Such is the proud lineage which the current crop inherits and will seek to advance in Rio. Leading the charge will be Usain Bolt, at the head of the Jamaican contingent which excelled in London four years ago. Bolt is expected to repeat those triumphs in Rio, but his female counterparts will face a sterner test this time. Though SVG has two competitors, flag-bearer Kineke Alexander and Brandon Valentine-Paris, hopes of the Eastern Caribbean will be vested in Grenada’s Kirani James, the title- holder in the 400 metres.

We all wish them the very best, as they defend Caribbean honour.