Jamaican Sprinting Crisis: How Usain Bolt’s Country is Facing Its Worst Olympics Ever

Jamaica, the kingdom of sprinting, is experiencing its worst performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Jamaica, also famous as the country of “Lightning” Usain Bolt, who holds the world record in the men’s 100m (9.58 seconds), has only secured one medal in the track and field sprint events at the Paris Olympics as of August 6. The only medal came from Keshorn Thompson, who finished the men’s 100m with an official time of 9.79 seconds, just 0.005 seconds behind the U.S. sprinter Noah Lyles, earning a silver medal.

Usually, during the Olympics, Jamaica would be busy celebrating with medal parties, but this time, they have little to celebrate. The Associated Press(AP) reported that the decline in Jamaica’s sprinting performance might not be a temporary phenomenon but could lead to a long-term slump.

The Jamaican women’s sprinting team, historically dominant in the 100m and 200m events, has experienced an unexpected downturn at the Paris Olympics. Despite sweeping the gold, silver, and bronze medals in the 100m at the Tokyo Olympics, they have not secured a single medal in Paris. This lapse marks a significant shift from their consistent performance from the 2008 Beijing Olympics to the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where they claimed 15 out of 24 possible medals. It’s the first time since the 1976 Montreal Olympics that Jamaican women have failed to win medals in both the 100m and 200m events.

The downturn in Jamaican women’s sprinting performance at the Paris Olympics can be traced back to the aging of key athletes and injuries. Legendary sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, at 38, alongside Elaine Thompson, 32, and Shericka Jackson, 30, face the challenges of advancing age in such a high-stakes sport. Adding to the team’s struggles, Thompson was sidelined due to an injury, and both Fraser-Pryce and Jackson withdrew from their events. In their absence, the women’s 200m final saw Gabrielle Thomas from the United States, a Harvard graduate, clinch victory with a time of 21.83 seconds.

The lack of a clear successor to Fraser-Pryce is also a problem. Tia Clayton, a 19-year-old who made it to the women’s 100m final, finished 7th, and Shashalee Forbes ranked 6th in the semifinals.

However, some experts argue that it is too early to declare Jamaican athletics down and out. Asafa Powell, a former Jamaican sprinting hero before Bolt, expressed optimism, stating, “I know the world is used to Jamaica winning, and Jamaica always celebrating.” He added, “But believe me, it will happen again.” The AP also noted that Bolt himself was eliminated in the 200m heats during his first Olympics at the 2004 Athens Games, suggesting that a surprise star could emerge from Jamaica at any moment.