Click photo to enlarge
Jamaica's Veronica Campbell-Brown celebrates winning the
gold in the women's 200mm final during the athletics
competitions . (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
The Jamaican national anthem has become as popular at the
Bird's Nest as reggae music is back on the island.
It's what happens when so many sprint gold medals go to one
country.
Veronica Campbell-Brown won the women's 200 metres last night
to make Jamaica 4-for-4 in the Olympic sprints. Usain Bolt
won the 100 and 200 - both in world-record times - while
Shelly-Ann Fraser took the 100 title.
"Dominating like we are is no surprise," said Kerron Stewart,
who took third in the 200, adding to the silver she shared
with teammate Sherone Simpson for their dead heat in the 100.
"I think this Olympics is the Jamaican Olympics."
Indeed. The island nation, population 2.8 million, captured
seven of the 12 available medals in the men's and women's 100
and 200.
Next up, the relays, where the men's and women's 400 teams
each won their heats Thursday and became the runaway
favorites after both U.S. teams dropped their batons and
failed to make their finals. If all goes as expected, Jamaica
in 2008 will join the U.S. team of 1984 as the only one to
sweep all six Olympic sprint gold medals.
Bolt's record-setting runs - 9.69 and 19.30 - were a blessing
and a burden for Campbell-Brown.
"I had to come out here and do my part," she said.
Adding to the pressure was the fact that Campbell-Brown had
missed qualifying in the 100, the race in which she was the
defending world champion. Her spot effectively went to Fraser
- yet another sign of how deep the talent pool is in Trelawny
and Kingston, Ocho Rios and Linstead and all spots in between
on the island.
So, how does a country with less than one-hundreth of the
population of the United States blaze right past the Stars
and Stripes?
Hard training, yes, but a big dose of fun.
Bolt demonstrated that with his showmanship all week, mugging
for the camera, dancing and celebrating as if he was, well,
having the time of his life. Which he was.
"Everybody's just having fun and working as hard as they can
out there," Campbell-Brown said. "It doesn't matter how big
or small the nation is."
Stewart felt like her country was overlooked coming into the
games.
Not so any more.
"When you put Jamaicans in an environment like this, only
good things happen," Stewart said. "We've been saying it, but
I don't think anyone's been taking us seriously. I guess they
are now."
American Allyson Felix, Thursday's 200-metres silver
medalist, certainly has been.
"I can't say I'm surprised," Felix said. "They've always been
strong. I don't think it's unexpected. I don't think it's
shocking."
