Jamaica’s having a pretty tough Olympics at the French capital. Despite being the favorite in multiple track and field events, the Caribbean nation has stumbled on almost every step of the way. However, while renowned stars like Kishane Thompson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce failed to bring golden glory home, an unexpected savior rose to compensate for it emphatically.

Roje Stona, a 25-year-old Jamaican discus thrower who sharpened his skills at the University of Arkansas, has created history on the grand stage. According to a post by Track & Field Gazette on X from just minutes ago, Stona has set a new Olympic record with a massive 70.00 throw. His personal best attempt has also brought the country its first-ever gold in throwing events. “What a way to announce yourself to the world!!” reads the caption of the post, and considering all the feats the star pulled off today, one can’t help but nod in agreement.

Roje is also the first non-European athlete to win gold in the discus throwing event at an Olympic Games. His achievement brought Jamaica its first gold medal in any sport at the 33rd Olympics, and naturally, celebrations should be warranted. So far, the country sits on the 27th spot of the medal table with 5 medals to its name, all of which came from athletics. However, while Jamaica was poised to win several gold medals in track events, none of those dreams materialized.

Kishane Thompson & Co. failed to carry the weight

Just before the Olympic Games, Kishane Thompson picked up the world lead in men’s 100m race, and was justifiably hailed as the favorite to win the event in Paris as well. The 23-year-old only bolstered the predictions as he went on to win both the Heat and the semifinal races before being handed a defeat by the USA’s Noah Lyles in the finals. While the difference between Thompson and Lyles was painfully close, USA managed to walk away with the gold, while Kishane had to make do with silver. However, Jamaica’s troubles didn’t end just there.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is a five-time Olympian who enjoys celebrity-esque popularity in her native country. The 33rd Olympics would be the last Games for the 37-year-old and speculations of seeing Shelly go all in to end her career with a bang weren’t short in numbers. And yet, disaster struck just hours before the women’s 100m race, as Fraser-Pryce pulled out of the event final thanks to an injury she incurred during the warm-up. While fans were outraged seeing her being denied access to the warm-up due to the Olympic bus fiasco, even they couldn’t come up with compensating words after her decision.

Moreover, the withdrawal of Shericka Jackson from the women’s 200m final only added to the woe of Jamaican fans, as they couldn’t come to terms with how their athletes succumbed to unforeseen potholes along the way. With the defending women’s 100m and 200m Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah already feeling the impact of her Achilles injury and opting out of the Paris Olympics altogether, stars like Fraser-Pryce and Kishane Thompson carried most of the country’s hopes on their shoulders. However, while these athletes failed to execute their responsibilities with determination, Roje’s success should somewhat make up for the lost opportunities.