Jamaica being called 'World's Fastest nation'

In the spirit of the Olympics, we can't help but to watch as Jamaica makes history at these games with the FIRST gold medal (in the men's and women's 100m) and then with the FIRST sweep in country's history (taking first, and then tying for second place in the women's 100m). And with more track and field events to come this week, the excitement continues to build....

From Jamacian Observer.com

BY PAUL A REID

reidp@jamaicaobserver.com

Monday, August 18, 2008

MONTEGO BAY, St James - In addition to Jamaican athletes winning both 100m finals at the 29th Olympiad being held in Beijing, China, being a rare feat in and of itself, there are even more interesting similarities in the races run almost 24 hours apart.

Both Usain Bolt who won the men's 100m and Shelly-Ann Fraser who won the women's, won by margins of .20 seconds and both ran from lane four.
Shelly-Ann Fraser, running in lane three, in awesome form in her gold medal-winning run in the women's 100m at the 29th Olympiad in Beijing, China, yesterday.

Jamaica also had three runners in each final, two each from Fraser's MVP club, former World Record holder Asafa Powell and Michael Frater, while Sherone Simpson (MVP) and national champion Kerron Stewart who tied for silver.

Bolt's new World Record 9.69 seconds and Fraser's astounding 10.78 seconds, the second fastest ever by a Jamaican woman, bettered only by Merlene Ottey's National Record 10.74 seconds.
The last time runners from the same country won the 100m at the Olympics was 20 years ago in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea, when Americans Carl Lewis and the late Florence Griffiths-Joyner stood on top of the podium.

Both Jamaicans who were 21 when they won would have been shy of their 22nd birthday when the feat was last achieved.

Usain Bolt (right), running out of lane three, celebrates after powering to the men's 100m gold and new world record at the 29th Olympiad in Beijing, China, on Saturday. (Photos: Bryan Cummings)

Lewis was upgraded to the gold a few days after the race after Jamaican-born Canadian Ben Johnson was stripped of the title after testing positive for a banned substance and was credited with a then World Record of 9.92 seconds.

Griffiths-Joyner, who owns the female World Record at 10.49 seconds, recorded a wind-aided 10.52 seconds to win the Olympic crown.

Then there was the unbridled joy from both champions after the event, and while Fraser stopped short of the dancehall moves that Bolt put on for the fans on Saturday, her elation was obvious.

Neither runner was considered threats to win the 100m say nine months ago. Bolt was considered a 200m specialist with some suggesting he try the 400m while Fraser was an unknown outside of the Jamaican track and field circles.

Bolt opened some eyes with a 10.03 seconds run at a low-keyed meet at GC Foster in March and then turned the track and field world on its ears with a series of fantastic runs - 9.76 seconds at the Jamaica International Invitational in early May, 9.92 seconds at the Hampton Games in Trinidad and Tobago and then the World Record 9.72 seconds at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York on May 31.

All this time Fraser worked in obscurity, and except for her win in the College Women's 100m at the Penn Relays in 11:86 seconds after running 11:39 seconds in the qualifying heats, did not have a major win to her name.

With her win yesterday (Jamaican time) practically every-thing has changed for the girl from the tough inner-city area of Waterhouse.

Fraser, who turns 22 in Decem-ber, has surpassed practically every Jamaican female sprinter before her after taking the most coveted title at the Olympics - the 100m.

She joins two other Olympic Champions - Deon Hemmings who won the 400m hurdles in Atlanta in 1996 and Veronica Campbell who won the 200m in Athens in 2004.