Why Do Jamaicans Dominate Track Events? Usain Bolt Reveals Country?s Big Secret

Jamaican sprinting legend, Usain Bolt’s contribution to the track and field is unmatchable. With his fame, fortune, and the heroics that earned him everything, Usain Bolt took the sport to new heights, in terms of popularity and participation, especially in his own country.

Notably, apart from Bolt, many other big names like Elaine Thompson Herah and Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce have been dominating the sport in recent times. Now, the World’s fastest man sheds light on the Jamaican sprinters in his interview.

Usain Bolt thinks the 2008 Olympics changed the sport’s future in Jamaica

In the past decade or so, Jamaican athletes have been dominating the track and field. In an interview with Hindustan Times, Usain Bolt talked about the incredible growth of the sport in Jamaica. Interestingly, the success of athletes like Usain has changed the importance of track and field in the country.

Usain said, comparing his era with the current era, ”I think more people are focused on track. The kids now are more focused on track and field. I’ve noticed a different trend, like when I was growing up everybody was watching the westerners. So in that era, everybody either wanted to play football or play cricket, because that’s what we saw as success. So when we started doing track and field it kind of grew so big because, in the Olympics 08, we dominated so big, that now everybody started looking at track and field.”

He further added how kids have developed an interest in the sport. ”All the kids started saying, oh you know what? I want to be Shelly-Ann Fraser, I want to be Usain Bolt. And at the boy and girls champs in Jamaica, which all the schools across the country come together and compete, and that’s where you see the best talent and that’s where they come from,” said Usain.

Remarkably, apart from the likes of Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, many other Jamaicans have reached the top.

Yohan Blake, Asafa Powell, Elaine, and other Jamaican stars

While they have the king of track and field, Jamaica has also produced some stellar talent in recent times. In 2021, Elaine Thompson Herah became the world’s second-fastest woman.

Moreover, Yohan Blake is the second-fastest man in the world in 100m and 200m races. Another Jamaican athlete, Asafa Powell, holds the world’s fourth-fastest time.

Do you think Jamaica can become the sole powerhouse of track and field in the near future?

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