By ELTON TUCKER, Assistant Sport EditorTHE GAMES OF the XXVIII Olympiad in Athens, Greece open on August 13 and Jamaica's athletes will be there to compete with the best in the world.
Jamaica is expected to participate in at least three sports - athletics, badminton and swimming - in Athens. Badminton player Nigella Saunders is poised to become the first Jamaican to compete in this sport at the Games.
Athens 2004 is a grand homecoming for the Olympics. The Modern Olympic Games started in 1896 in Athens and since that time has travelled to many countries around the world.
Outstanding tradition
Jamaica first entered the Olympics in 1948 in London, England and has built up an outstanding tradition in athletics. Since 1948 Jamaica has failed to win medals at only the 1956 Games in Melbourne, Australia.
In its recent publication, A Century of Great Moments in track and field the International Association of Athletics Feder-ations (IAAF), in showcasing Jamaica's triumph in the 1952 Helsinki 4x400m, described the country as a 'treasure island for athletics' and 'a paradise for sprinters.'
It highlighted not only Jamaican Olympic champions such as McKenley, Wint and Donald Quarrie but also those with 'Jamaican origins' competing for other countries such as Linford Christie of Great Britain and Canada's Donovan Bailey.
STAR Sports begins its Olympic coverage today with a look at Jamaica's performances at the London Olympics.
LONDON 1948, as far as Jamaica is concerned, belonged to the late Dr. Arthur Wint and Herb McKenley.
In a magnificent run Wint bagged Jamaica's first-ever Olympic gold medal, winning the 400 metres gold in 46.2 seconds.
In equalling the then Olympic record Wint defeated pre-race favourite McKenley who clocked 46.4 for the silver medal. American Mal Whitfield took third in 46.9.
More was to come for the versatile Wint. He also mined silver in the 800 metres (1:49.5) behind Whitfield's gold medal time of 1:49.2 as both joined only a handful of men who have won medals in the 400m and 800m at the same Games.
McKenley, regarded as many as one of the best allround sprinters ever, reached the 200 metres final along with Leslie Laing. In a blanket finish to the 200m final McKenley was fourth in 21.2, the same time as the bronze medalist. Laing was sixth in 21.6.
Sweet revenge
Jamaica's men were also among the favourites for the 4x400m relay but tragedy struck when on the third leg when Wint pulled a muscle on the third leg when challenging the Americans. They were to gain sweet revenge four years later.
The men won the medals but there were also some admirable performances from the women. Cynthia Thompson (now Dr. Thompson) was the first Jamaican woman to reach an Olympic sprint final, placing sixth in the 100m (12.4). The winner, Fanny Blankers-Koen of Holland, clocked 11.9. Thompson also ran the 200 metres but was eliminated in the semi-finals.
In an admirable showing in the women's field events Vinton Beckett, 1.58m, was fourth in the women's high jump as gold medalist Alice Coachman of the United States and Great Britain's Dorothy Tyler cleared a then Olympic record 1.68m for the gold and silver medals.
Kathleen Russell was sixth in the women's long jump (5.49m) behind gold medalist Olga Gyarmati's (Hungary) 5.69m.
Next 1952 and the memorable 4x400m relay in Helsinki,Finland.
