CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
In news that will likely result in several terminations of employment within the West Indies most successful sporting ministries, it seems that Jamaica has come short of winning gold in both the mens and womens 100 metre sprints at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
This comes as three American sprinters reached the finals of the men’s, in what has proven to be one of the closest finals in Olympic. While Jamaica were well and truly in the race – the gold medal went to the 27-year-old US sprinter Noah Lyles— after a neck and neck photo finish.
Lyles’ perfect dip at the finish line was enough to surpass out Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson – as he clocked a personal best time of 9.784 seconds. Thompson also ran a 9.79, but Lyles finished 0.005 of a second faster.
Another American, Fred Kerley, won the bronze.
eanwhile in the women’s event, The nearby island nation of St Lucia snatched gold as the 23-year-old sprinter, Julien Alfred blitzed the final with a dazzling 10.72 seconds, becoming the eighth fastest woman in history and delivering her home nation’s first-ever Olympic medal.
She was joined on the podium by two Americans.
The fact that the Jamaica didn’t even medal in the women’s 100 metre sprint has only magnified the scandal, with the nation’s two million citizens demanding answers from both sporting administrators and government officials.
This arguable slump in Jamaican sprinting is believed to have started when Usain Bolt’s ten year reign was ended by an ITALIAN winning gold in Tokyo.
In response to this immediate and warranted backlash from the Jamaican people, it seems that the ministry of sport will now be seeking athletic glory through other avenues.
Aside from the added pressure now faced by the West Indies cricket side, the Jamaicans are once again exploring unconventional winters sports.
In scenes reminiscent to the iconic bobsled team that debuted at the 1988 Calgary games, recruitment drives have already started for the Winter Olympics newer events like men’s and women’s dual moguls, women’s doubles luge, women’s large hill ski jump, and mixed team skeleton.
But can lighting run on ice?
