In the Caribbean, we are used to stepping up – using our talent, working hard, punching above our means and exceeding expectations – so it is no surprise that this talent and determination has led us to excel on the biggest sporting stages and ultimately to the very top of the Olympic podium.
Our Olympic success story is one of electrifying and emotional moments as we witness our athletes win gold medals, our national anthem is played and our flag is raised aloft.
And no matter what country we call home, when our Caribbean brothers and sisters take on and beat the rest of the world, there is regional pride, support and unity in all those moments, knowing that their success is the result of incredible talent combined with unwavering faith, hard work and determination.
debtFrom the first time Caribbean athletes participated in the Olympic Games (London 1948), they didn’t just participate, they participated to win medals. The first Olympics took place in a world transformed by World War II. For an island nation on the road to independence, the Olympics was the perfect platform to showcase itself.
In the 1948 Olympics, Jamaica Arthur Wint and Herb McKenry Wint ignited the region’s 400m fever with first and second-place finishes, and also won silver in the 800m.
To prove this, four years later in Helsinki, George Lowden He left the 400m in Jamaican hands before teaming up with McEnery and Wint. Leslie Laing They won the 4x400m relay, the first of many relay victories for the Caribbean nation.
Depth in sprinting is such an abundant talent for Jamaica that it is rare for either the men’s or women’s team to fail to win a medal. Don Qualley He dominated the 200-meter track, going around the curves at blazing speed and never relinquishing the lead.
Deon HemmingsHer gold medal in the 400m hurdles at Atlanta (1996) was a clear indication of the “arrival” of Caribbean women. She is a legendary Marlene Otteycompeted in seven Olympic Games, winning nine medals in total – three silver and six bronze – but no gold medals.
Veronica CampbellHer 200m victory in Athens (2004) was a prelude to the 2008 Beijing Games, where Jamaican women won seven medals, including gold for Campbell. Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryceand Melanie WalkerTheir advantage is Elaine Thompson HellerShe won five gold medals in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
Unparalleled Usain Bolt He was at the forefront of a period of Jamaican dominance with a string of unforgettable performances, but the race that stands out in particular was the one in which he won his first gold medal – the 100 metres in 2008.
Bolt’s antics at the starting line in Beijing brought an unprecedented level of showmanship and entertainment to athletics and made him a global star. After 90 metres, he started to run effortlessly: looking left and right, arms outstretched, off-step, one shoelace untied, and still crossing the line in a new world record.
“T“They say they ain’t seen it yet, But it starts like a jet plane, and it ends like a jet plane,” the calypsonian maestro sang. Haseley CrawfordTrinidad and Tobago’s first gold medalist. From the disadvantageous position of lane one, the muscular Crawford won the 100m title in 1976, and Trinidad and Tobago celebrated for weeks afterwards: “Gold, Gold, the Fastest Man in the World!”
Quarry’s 200m victory and the performance of great Cuban athletes Alberto JuantorenaThey also won the 400m and 800m, giving Caribbean runners a monopoly in the sprint events.
T&T’s men’s sprinters also won gold in the 4x100m relay in 2008, Keshawn WalcottHis performance in 2012 was the biggest surprise: as the world junior champion in the javelin, he was sent to the Olympics to gain experience.
But his calm demeanor on the podium after a big throw on a windy London night to secure his country a third gold medal belied the magnitude of his achievement, which at just 19 years old means he is the youngest ever Olympic javelin champion.
The London 2012 Games also provided another source of joy for the Caribbean, Grenada’s first Olympic medal – and it was a gold medal. Kirani James He entered the 400m event as a favorite to win but faced stiff competition for the coveted title.
No matter what country we call home, there is a sense of regional pride, support and solidarity as our Caribbean brothers and sisters take on and defeat the rest of the world.
With long strides and a relaxed style from the start, the 19-year-old James outran his rivals and effortlessly crossed the finish line to make Grenada the smallest country ever to win Olympic gold.
Suriname also Anthony NestyNesty won the 100m butterfly in Seoul (1988) by a heart-stopping hundredth of a second. Defeating top American and Australian swimmers, Nesty also became the first black swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal in swimming.
News of his victory reverberated throughout the region, so much so that T&T issued a postage stamp in his honor.
CUba has won 235 Olympic medals, 84 of which were gold, making it the region’s gold standard in terms of the precious metal. During the Cold War, Uba prioritized sports and saw the Olympics as an international indicator of its country’s success (similar to the Soviet Union).
From fencing to canoeing, boxing has won many events and has had its biggest Olympic triumphs. Teofilo Stevenson He knocked out three opponents on his way to winning the gold medal and then defending the title in Montreal and Moscow. Despite receiving multimillion-dollar offers to turn professional, he remained true to the ideals of the Cuban Revolution.
Few will forget Shaunae Miller UiboMiller won the gold medal at the Rio 2016 Games. In a perfect example of wanting it more than anyone else, in the final seconds of the 400m, with his rivals closing in, Miller sprinted across the finish line to win by just sevenths of a second.
In Tokyo, she defended her title with a less dramatic performance to give The Bahamas its eighth gold medal, five of which came in the 400 meters, underscoring the country’s strength in the sport.
While some Caribbean nations have yet to step atop the Olympic podium, the Olympics, held every four years, captures the world’s attention for two action-packed weeks. With both their proud history and the expectation of continuing to shine on the sport’s biggest stage, the region’s young people are sure to be inspired. Stay tuned.
Medal Winning Milestones
Besides gold medals, Caribbean athletes have won many other important medals at the Olympic Games.
Cuba
Women’s 4x100m Relay (Silver, 1968)
When the Cuban quartet — Miguelina Cobian, Marlene Elejalde, Violeta Quesada and Fulgencia Romai — crossed the finish line, they became not only the first Cubans to win Olympic medals, but also the first from the entire Caribbean region — a groundbreaking track and field performance that paved the way for many more to follow.
Jamaica
Cycling, 1km time trial (bronze, 1980)
There, 23-year-old David Weller shocked the sporting world by taking on a strong Eastern European cycling team and reaching the podium, Jamaica’s only medal outside of athletics.
Guyana
Boxing, bantamweight (bronze, 1980)
Michael Anthony beat opponents from Mexico, Niger and Syria before narrowly losing to eventual gold medalist Cuba to win Guyana’s only Olympic medal, before embarking on a 15-year professional playing career.
Barbados
100m sprint (bronze, 2000)
Barbados’ first, and so far only, Olympic medal was won when Obadele Thompson became the third fastest man in the world.
Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
200m Individual Medley (Bronze, 2004)
George Bobbell III’s medal was the only one won by Trinidad and Tobago at the 2004 Athens Games (it remains the only medal won in swimming) and served as a bridge between Ato Boldon’s medal wins at the previous two Olympics and subsequent gold medals at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Games (both in athletics).
For more information on the history of the Caribbean Olympics, including profiles of the athletes mentioned, click here. caribbean-beat.com/Olympics
