The response of some Jamaicans at residence and within the diaspora to the participation, or lack thereof, of Jamaican athletes within the 2024 Paris Olympics, offers that means to the phrase, “An excessive amount of of a great factor is just not good.”
Earlier than the excellent performances of athletes like Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Usain Bolt within the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, Jamaicans would erupt in grand celebration if even one athlete received an Olympic gold medal. However since 2008, with Jamaican athletes profitable a number of gold medals, particularly in monitor and area dash occasions, Jamaicans have come to anticipate such excellent performances at every Olympics.
There are younger Jamaicans underneath 25 who’ve by no means seen a Jamaican man or girl fail to win a gold medal in dash occasions at an Olympic sport. So, for these kids and different Jamaicans, not having a Jamaican medal within the ladies’s 100 meters or having an athlete competing within the males’s and ladies’s 200 meters finals is painful and unacceptable.
A number of feedback on social media following the withdrawal of Fraser-Pryce from the ladies’s 100m semifinals, and Shericka Jackson from the 200 meters heats have been weird. Much more weird have been the feedback when teenager Tia Clayton, who appeared poised to medal within the ladies’s 100m finals, completed out of competition, and Indirect Seville, who seemed excellent profitable his semifinal within the males’s 100m, additionally didn’t medal.
Whereas the frustration of people that could have loved “an excessive amount of of a great factor” from the victories of Jamaican athletes since 2008 might be understood, the vile feedback reacting to often excellent athletes due to accidents can’t be tolerated. Excellent athletes who typically win medals in worldwide meets should not machines. They’re people who work exceptionally arduous and make main sacrifices to attain the success they convey to themselves and their international locations.
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As proficient as Usain Bolt was, he didn’t simply present up with out powerful coaching and preparation to win Olympic and World information. Fraser-Pryce’s achievements are enduringly extraordinary. She made her fifth consecutive Olympic look in Paris. She excelled in her 4 prior appearances and seemed like she would once more, even at age 37, when she received her 100m heats in Paris. However she was foiled by an harm to her foot. Shericka Jackson has been a pressure to reckon with within the 100 and 200 meters for the previous six years, and regardless of an obvious leg harm, she was nonetheless decided to run on the Paris Olympics, however the harm simply didn’t permit her to. Seville additionally succumbed to an previous harm in the course of the males’s 100m finals.
It’s pitiful and painful the best way some followers criticized Fraser-Pryce and Jackson for not with the ability to compete. It’s shameful how brief the recollections of some persons are, the identical individuals who have been ecstatic when these ladies received gold for Jamaica. It’s pitiful some individuals appear to lack fundamental compassion and understanding.
It have to be appreciated that the participation of Jamaican athletes at main worldwide monitor and area meets has prolonged considerably. Gone are the times when Jamaicans’ participation was restricted to the 100, 200, and 400-meter particular person occasions, and 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relays. In Paris, Jamaicans are competing in lots of different occasions together with ladies’s 800m, ladies’s 1500m, and area occasions like males’s and ladies’s shot put and discus. Jamaicans have been and are scheduled to take part day by day in monitor and area occasions within the Paris Olympics.
Most of those athletes are very younger and inexperienced however are very courageous, bold, and decided to carry glory to their nation even when their effort is just not robust sufficient to push them to an occasion closing. It’s necessary to encourage these athletes. Though they could be frowned on as a result of they didn’t earn a medal in Paris, they’ve the potential to be excellent world beaters 4 years from now and needs to be inspired.
Neither ought to any semblance of ingratitude be proven to these veteran athletes who introduced glory to Jamaica, however who can not compete at excessive ranges. These athletes ought to all the time be hailed for his or her achievements.
In the meantime, whereas some Jamaicans are agonizing over not having the same old parade of athletes profitable medals this 12 months, monitor and area followers in different Caribbean nations are elated on the efficiency of their athletes in Paris. Congratulations to St. Lucia’s Julien Alfred for profitable gold and silver within the ladies’s 100m and 200m respectively; Dominica’s Thea Lafond for profitable gold within the ladies’s triple leap; and St. Vincent’s Shafiqua Maloney for impressing within the ladies’s 800m finals, simply lacking a medal by ending fourth.
On the time of writing, a number of Jamaican and different Caribbean athletes are right down to compete in additional occasions in Paris. A few of these athletes are anticipated to maintain the flags of the Caribbean flying excessive as they win extra medals. These athletes and each athlete performing on the Paris Olympics have to be praised and counseled for his or her efforts.
