US vs Jamaica Track & Field Rivalry Might Take a Hit As Multiple Iconic Sprinters Rumored To Retire

This week, some of Jamaica’s top track and field athletes hung up their shoes, leaving their team shorthanded heading into the Olympics in Paris. Americans had once held the baton for outpacing other nations to take home Olympic medals. However, the medal tally saw a shift at the Beijing Olympics, where Usain Bolt set up his unbeatable 200m world record. Additionally, Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won in the 200m and 100m events, respectively. In track and field, the roles have reversed once again, with America’s three-time world champion Noah Lyles, and world champion Sha’Carri Richardson dominating the scene.

The long-standing rivalry between Jamaica and Team USA is further soured by the absence of some of the former’s senior representatives now, driving a spanner in the work just prior to the Olympics. Jamaica’s second-fastest 400m sprinter Akeem Bloomfield confirmed his retirement from professional track and field events at the age of 26. Based in the US, Bloomfield has had a string of injuries lately; while his latest competitive appearance was at the Tom Jones Invitational in April 2023. Now, @FitzDunk posted an update on X claiming that two more sprinters are on the same route.

The caption of the post reads, “Jamaican sprinters Rasheed Dwyer and Nathon Allen have announced their retirement from athletics. Dwyer, a 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medalist and 2015 Pan American Games champion, and Allen, a 2016 Olympic silver medalist and 400m national champion, leave behind impressive legacies in track and field.” Notably, Dwyer has confirmed his retirement to Jamaica Gleaner, whereas Allen has yet to clear the air.

Olympian and world champion Rasheed Dwyer had represented Jamaica since his junior days at the 2008 World Junior Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland. The four-time national champion appeared in three World Championships and 3-World Relays as a member of the senior team. He competed in the 200-meter event for the Jamaica men’s squad at the 2020 Olympic Games, placing seventh. At the World Athletics Championships in Budapest last year, he made his most recent appearance. In a heartfelt statement, Dwyer talked about passing the baton to the next generation of sprinters.

“I am getting older and I think this is the right time to pass on the baton to the younger generation as there are many of them, including the likes of Oblique Seville, Ackeem Blake and Sandrey Davison, who, I think, are ready to continue with the success of the country’s men’s sprinting and I have no regrets,” Dwyer said to Jamaica Gleaner.

Nathon Allen—a member of Jamaica’s relay teams, took home two medals: one from the Rio Olympics in 2016 and another at the 2022 World Championship in Eugene. On the contrary, American track standout Allyson Felix bid adieu to her storied career after the 2022 season. During her Jamaican “Babymoon” this February, Felix reminisced about her most intense matches against seasoned Jamaican competitors: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Veronica Campbell-Brown. This Olympics, the rivalry between Jamaica and the United States, has been carried on by new sprinters who have taken over from the veteran lot.

The uphill battle for supremacy in track and field continues

The track and field battle between Team USA and Jamaica is at its peak right now. Despite Lightning Bolt’s criticism, Sha’Carri Richardson dominated in the women’s 100m at the recent Prefontaine Classic 2024. While Grant Holloway topped in the men’s 110m hurdles. The American pair established their supremacy by defeating Elaine Thompson-Herah and Hansle Parchment, their powerful rivals from Jamaica. Notably, in her first race of the season, Thompson-Herah, the defending Olympic champion, finished last at 11.30s against reigning world champion Richardson.

It’s a fierce battle marked by close calls, picture-perfect finishes, and decisive wins. Athletes from both countries have regularly pushed the limits of human performance in sprinting and field events, exciting spectators around the world. Another year, one of the most anticipated rivalries of the Olympics will be seen at the track and field competition between Jamaica and the United States.