It has been an Olympics of historic proportions for Caribbean athletes, having earned over 40 medals, led by Jamaica's rainmaker, Usain Bolt, who copped 3 Golds en route to rewriting history.

Leading the pack with 24 medals is Cuba, who has 2 Golds, 11 Silvers and 11 Bronzes. Coming in second is Jamaica with 11 medals, but with the most impressive performance on the track thus far, earning 6 Golds, 3 Silvers and 2 Bronzes and a myriad of broken records and Olympic firsts. The Dominican Republic has 1 Gold and 1 Silver, Trinidad & Tobago has 2 Silvers and The Bahamas earned 1 Silver and 1 Bronze.

Jamaica’s treasure chest of medals in athletics have placed it 12th overall of the 71 countries that have medaled in the games to date, putting them above the United States, who usually dominate on the track. It is definitely a feat for a Caribbean country of 2.8 million people.

Lightning strikes twice

Giving true meaning to his name, Usain, ‘Lightning’ Bolt, Jamaica’s new golden boy and Olympic hit leads the pack, shattering two world records in the 100 m and 200 m dashes solo and a third along with the golden team of the 4x100 m relay. Bolt's Olympic achievements have caused celebratory pandemonium at home and here in South Florida.

Usain, clad in his Jamaican colors and winning golden Puma spikes, became the first Jamaican ever to earn a gold medal in the Men’s 100 m and the first person ever to break both World Records (clocking a 9.69 seconds in the 100 m and 19.30 seconds in the 200 m) in a single Olympic game.

The 200 m world record of 19.32 seconds, set by US athlete Michael Johnson in 1996, once deemed ‘unbreakable’ was annihilated when ‘Lightning Bolt’ struck a second time on the track. And while Jamaicans beam with pride and celebrate jubilantly, the world is in awe of Usain’s performance, not only because he broke the records, but because this 21-year-old 6-foot 5 Jamaican, by virtue of his stature is not the prototypical sprinter.

Following Bolt’s world record breaking sprint, Johnson said Bolt’s feat was "Incredible” adding that he got an incredible start, but men 6ft-5 inches tall should not be able to start like that. In Johnson’s opinion Bolt’s success is due to his long stride, allowing him “to eat up much more track than his competitors.”

Bolt now joins legends like the great American sprinters Jessie Owens and Carl Lewis in winning both men sprint races. Owens won the double in 1936 and Lewis in 1984. He also joins fellow Jamaican sprint Legend Donald Quarrie as the only individual to hold both sprint records simultaneously. Former World Record Holder in the 100 m, Asafa Powell, who was favored for the 100 m, finished at a disappointing fifth place. However, Powell redeemed himself when he anchored the 4x100 m relay, shattering the World Record as he sprinted to the finish line like his life depended on it.

The women have also been burning up the tracks and taking home the medals for their homeland. The Jamaican trio of Shelly-Ann Fraser, Kerron Stewart and Sherone Simpson, created an Olympic record by sweeping the event 1-2-2, while Melaine Walker, putting her stamp on the Olympics, broke the 400 m hurdles Olympic record set by fellow Olympic medalist Deon Hemmings. Defending Champion of the 200 m sprint Veronica Campbell-Brown, reclaimed the title, giving Jamaica a clean sweep of the Olympic sprint events. She has also created history as the first sprinter to successfully defend her Olympic title. Stewart took the Bronze in this event.

The successive gold medal wins by Jamaican athletes between Saturday and Thursday have sent Jamaicans at home and in the Diaspora in a frenzy, bursting with excitement and awash with national pride. Such jubilance has not been seen for years, and rivals the Reggae Boyz World Cup victory over Japan at the 1998 World Cup Football tournament in France.

Jamaicans blocked major intersections where billboard sized TV monitors were mounted, to watch their athletes burn the tracks. On Wednesday when Bolt won and broke the world record in the 200 m and Walker smashed the Olympic record in the 400 m hurdles, people ran into the streets from their places of business and homes hailing the new champions.

With most of the races being shown live in Jamaica during the morning hours, production has slowed each day until afternoon. Bosses and employees enjoy races and share the historic moments. Even police and civilians hugged and celebrated in the streets. Meanwhile the Jamaican government is planning a festive welcome home for the athletes.


Delayed US coverage

Here in South Florida, the telephone lines to Jamaica have been running hot with trying to call or receive calls from home to get instant Olympic results, as NBC blocked live viewing of the athletic events here in the US.

A huge outcry has gone up from Caribbean residents across the US against NBC’s seeming inconsideration for track and field enthusiasts in not showing live coverage of the athletic events. Jamaicans in general are also miffed at negative remarks made by NBC’s Olympic coverage anchors with what they regard as Bolt's ‘premature celebration’ before he concluded his world record 100 meters run.

The Caribbean must now be recognized as a genuine force to reckon with in major international athletic events. Since 1948 athletes like Jamaican Herb Mckinley, Arthur Wint, George Rhoden, Donald Quarrie, Merlene Ottey; Trinidadians Hasely Crawford and Atto Bolden, Bajan Obdedele Thompson, Kittitian Kim Collins and Bahamian Debbie Ferguson have been knocking on the door of Olympic greatness, but now the Caribbean athletes at the Beijing Olympics have flung that door wide open.