Jamaica's political leaders congratulate Roje Stona

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says discus thrower Roje Stona has reminded the world that Jamaicans are resilient people with his gold medal performance at the Paris Olympics.

Holness made the comment in a congratulatory message to Stona on Wednesday, after Stona won the men's discus with a record-breaking throw of 70.00 metres.

Noting that this is the first time that a Jamaican has won the discus at the Olympics, Holness said Stona has done his family proud and has brought tremendous joy to Jamaica.

"Indeed, he has reminded the world that Jamaicans are resilient people, we are talented people and we are capable of not only doing well on the track but also shining in field events," he said.

He continued: "We are proud of you Roje and we celebrate your major achievement!"

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Mark Golding said Stona's dedication, perseverance and exceptional talent have brought immense pride to Jamaica.

"It is wonderful to see the broadening out of Jamaica's prowess across so many different categories of athletic events. This success has been years in the making, with three dedicated coaches taking this on as a labour of love. Their hard work has produced results at the junior level and now, for the first time, a medal at the senior level—a phenomenal achievement," said Golding.

He added that it is now essential to think about consistent support for field events, which often do not attract corporate sponsorship.

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