Samuda: There is still much to celebrate

PARIS, France

While Jamaica’s Paris Olympic campaign was filled with challenges and misfortune, Jamaica Olympic Association President Christopher Samuda said that there is still much to celebrate, reflect on, and learn from when the Olympic Games returns to Los Angeles four years from now.

The Games of the 33rd Olympiad ended last night at the Stade with fanfare as two weeks of performances concluded and Paris handed the reins to Los Angeles, who take over hosting duties in 2028. It will be the second time that the city of Los Angeles will host the Games and the fifth time that the United States will be responsible for organising them.

Jamaica leaves Paris with six medals: one gold, three silver, and two bronze. While it has been a standout Games for Jamaica in the field events, they only accumulated two medals in the sprints. Jamaica’s athletics team was marred by injuries to five-time World 100 metres champion Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce as well as World 200m champion Shericka Jackson, who were forced to withdraw from the Games.

While there have been problems on and off the field, Samuda believes that Jamaica should be proud of what the athletes achieved in Paris.

“I think that it has gone relatively well for Jamaica. There have been, of course, challenges in terms of injuries, and certainly, that has not marred, really, the performances of persons like (Roje), Stona who has done exceptionally well,” Samuda said. “I feel that what we have to do is go back to the drawing board and see how best we can prepare our athletes. This is part of the territory, and we can’t really dwell on that.”

The field events were history-making achievements, led by Stona, who won Jamaica’s first Olympic title in the discus; Rajindra Campbell, Jamaica’s first Olympic medal in the shot put; Shanieka Ricketts, who won Jamaica’s first Olympic medal in the triple jump; and Wayne Pinnock, who won Jamaica’s first men’s long jump Olympic medal in 28 years.

Romaine Beckford, who was the country’s first Olympic finalist in the men’s high jump since 1956, said this was the Olympics that the field events finally got their stage to shine.

“I don’t think Jamaica looks at field events that much, and it is not because they don’t see field events. It’s just that we had good athletes coming from the sprints that it overlooked the field events. But now, the field events are coming up and showing that we are not just good sprinters,” Beckford said.

Jamaica’s six medals saw them finish seventh in track and field and 44th overall. It is their second lowest total since the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Jamaica collected five medals at the 2004 Games in Athens, Greece, but two of those were gold. Veronica Campbell-Brown won the 200m, and the women captured the 4x100m.