HAIL OUR ATHLETES!

ALL HAIL the sportsmen! If there is ever a set of people to further uplift our nation on the global stage, it is our athletes. These men and women have taken their extraordinary talents to the next level and have offered same in service to their country. As we celebrate 56 years of Independence, it is fair to say that our athletes deserve a salute, 56 times over! Let’s take a walk down memory lane and relive five of the many great moments in our country’s sporting history since 1962.

1998 – Jamaica reaches FIFA World Cup finals

If you were around on November 16, 1997, chances are you remember the excitement felt throughout the country when Jamaica became the first English speaking Caribbean country to qualify for the finals of the World Cup. In 1998, the Reggae Boyz made their debut in France, donning the black, green and gold. That is the only time the country has advanced to that level of the competition, but hopefully, not the last!

2005 – Asafa Powell becomes world’s fastest man

In speaking of our nation’s great athletes since Independence, Asafa Powell must be mentioned. Hailed as the ‘Sub-10 King’, Powell gave a dazzling run in the 100m finals of the 2005 Olympic games in Athens, Greece. It was a world record time of 9.77 seconds. He later ran 9.74 seconds at the IAAF Grand Prix in Reit, Italy, in 2008, smashing his record.

2008 – Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce creates history

Back then, she was known only as ShellyAnn Fraser, and her 2008 run had left us breathless! The now married Fraser-Pryce became the first Caribbean woman to win 100m gold at the Olympics when she appeared at Beijing in 2008. The sprint queen later defended her title in 2012 and medalled in 2016, becoming the first woman in history to win medals in the 100m event in three consecutive Olympic Games.

2008 – The beginning of the Bolt reign

Which other human can break his record over 100 metres in the same year it was set? Who else doubles up appearances and still sets a world record over 100 and 200 metres at the same Olympic games? Sir Bolt! Jamaica’s sprint legend, Usain St Leo Bolt, has added something special to these 56 years of Independence as the personality the world knows him to be is matched only by his amazing talent! Bolt is the only athlete to win

Olympic

100m and

200m titles at three Olympic Games consecutively – 2008, 2012 and 2016.

2015 – Chris Gayle makes history

Since 1998, one Chris Gayle has been continuing the country’s reputation of producing fine cricketers, with a decorated career in the sport. In 2015, Gayle became the first cricketer in Cricket World Cup history to score a double century, hitting 200 runs off 138 balls against Zimbabwe in the 2015 World Cup!

.