Merlene Joyce Ottey OD is a Jamaican former track and field sprinter. She began her career representing Jamaica, before representing Slovenia from 2002 to 2012. She is ranked fourth on the all-time list over 60 metres (indoor), seventh on the all-time list over 100 metres and fourth on the all-time list over 200 metres. She is the current world indoor record holder for 200 metres with 21.87 seconds, set in 1993.
Jamaica competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. This was the nation's fourteenth appearance at the Summer Olympics as an independent nation, although it had previously appeared in the first four editions as a British colony, and as part of the West Indies Federation. The Jamaica Olympic Association sent a total of 47 athletes to the Games, 22 men and 25 women, to compete only in track and field, badminton, shooting, and swimming. For the second consecutive time in Olympic history, Jamaica was represented again by more female than male athletes.
Veronica Campbell Brown C.D is a Jamaican track and field sprinter, who specializes in the 100 and 200 meters. A eight-time Olympic medalist, she is the second woman in history to win two consecutive Olympic 200 m events, after Bärbel Wöckel of Germany at the 1976 and 1980 Olympics. Campbell Brown is one of only nine athletes to win world championships at the youth, junior, and senior level of an athletic event.
The 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Kingston, Jamaica, from 4 to 13 August 1966. This was the first time that the Games had been held outside the so-called White Dominions. They were followed by the 1966 Commonwealth Paraplegic Games for wheelchair athletes. Jamaica remains the only host nation of a Commonwealth Games that did not win at least one gold medal in its own games.
Sherone Simpson is a Jamaican track and field sprint athlete. She is a gold medalist in the 4 × 100 m relay from the 2004 Olympics and silver medalist in 2005 World Championships and now is the silver medalist in the individual event at the 2008 Summer Olympics, after she tied for second with Kerron Stewart in a photo finish.
The Parish of Manchester is an administrative civil parish located in west-central Jamaica, in the county of Middlesex. Its capital, Mandeville, is a major business centre, and the only parish capital not located on the coast or on a major river. Its St. Paul of the Cross Pro-Cathedral is the episcopal see of the Latin Catholic Diocese of Mandeville.
The Jamaican Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year is an annual election, organised by the RJR Sports Foundation, which honours outstanding achievement(s) in sport by Jamaican athletes during the previous year.
Jamaica first participated at the Olympic Games in 1948, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then. In 1960, Jamaican athletes competed as part of the West Indies Federation team.
Jamaica has also participated in the Winter Olympic Games since 1988, with the Jamaica national bobsleigh team achieving some fame.
Jamaica sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics, held in Beijing, People's Republic of China from August 8 to August 24, 2008. This was, by far, Jamaica's best showing at the Summer Olympics; it was the nation's largest delegation yet, and its athletes nearly doubled its total gold medal count in addition to breaking the nation's record for number of medals earned in a single games. Jamaica's appearance at Beijing was its fifteenth consecutive appearance and appearance as an independent nation, although it had previously participated in four other games as a British colony and as part of the West Indies Federation. In the 29 events that included Jamaican athletes, there were 26 cases in which a Jamaican athlete or relay progressed to a final round. Usain Bolt won three of Jamaica's six gold medals at Beijing, breaking an Olympic and world record in all three of the events in which he participated. Shelly-Ann Fraser led an unprecedented Jamaican sweep of the medals in the Women's 100 m. Female sprinter Veronica Campbell-Brown carried Jamaica's flag at the ceremonies.
Jamaica competed at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics from 15–23 August. A team of 46 athletes was announced in preparation for the competition. Selected athletes achieved one of the competition's qualifying standards. The squad had a number of medal hopes for the sprinting events, including Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell, and Michael Frater in the men's and Veronica Campbell-Brown, Kerron Stewart, and Shelly-Ann Fraser in the women's. Olympic gold medallist Melaine Walker competed in the 400 metres hurdles and 2007 World Championship silver medallists Maurice Smith, Shericka Williams, and Novlene Williams-Mills also feature.
Jamaica competed at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico from October 14 to 30, 2011. The Jamaica team had 58 athletes in 10 sports.
Jamaica competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. This was Jamaica's most successful performance in the Summer Olympics; it was approximately the same size from the previous games with a delegation of 50 athletes, and its athletes broke the nation's record for the number of medals, won in a single games. Jamaica's participation in London marked its sixteenth appearance as an independent nation, although it had previously competed in four other games as a British colony, and as part of the West Indies Federation. Usain Bolt became the nation's greatest highlight of these games, having won three of Jamaica's four gold medals at London, and breaking an Olympic and world record in two of the three events in which he participated. Because of his repeated successes for the most medals and records, Bolt became Jamaica's first male flag bearer at the opening ceremony since 1984.
Jamaica competed at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics from August 27 to September 4 in Daegu, South Korea.
The 40th CARIFTA Games was held at the Montego Bay Sports Complex in Montego Bay, Jamaica, on April 23–25, 2011. Initially, the games should be hosted for the second
time after 2007 by Saint Kitts and
Nevis, but they declared to be unable to stage the games because of financial issues. The games could have been cancelled for the first time in its history,
but Jamaica finally agreed to host the games at short notice.
Jamaica competed at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, United Kingdom from August 29 to September 9, 2012.
Jamaica competed at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics in Moscow, Russia, from 10–18 August 2013.
A team of 45 athletes was announced to represent the country in the event.
Athletics was one of ten core sports that appeared at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. As a founding sport, athletics has appeared consistently since its introduction at the 1911 Inter-Empire Games; the recognised precursor to the Commonwealth Games.
Jamaica competed in the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from July 10 to 26, 2015.
Jamaica competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, from August 5 to 21, 2016. This marked its sixteenth Summer Olympic appearance as an independent nation, although it had previously competed in four other editions as a British colony, and as part of the West Indies Federation.
Jamaica competed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, Australia from April 4 to April 15, 2018. It was Jamaica's 17th appearance at the Commonwealth Games.
