2008 changed everything for Jamaica. Why ? The Beijing Olympics. It was a championship that no one expected. Usain Bolt, along with his 4 x 100 team were shattering records, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce became the "pocket rocket", Veronica Campbell Brown showed she still had it, Melanie Walker impressed, Shericka Williams, honestly I could go on and on.
Since then, Jamaica has been branded a "track and field nation". The Boys & Girls Championships have been bigger than ever, more athletes have emerged on the scene (Yohan Blake, Kemar Bailey-Cole, Hansle Parchment, Javon Francis, Kimberly Williams, Elaine Thompson, Kaliese Spencer, etc.) and the spotlight when it comes to any world track and field event is usually on Jamaica. Despite all this, Jamaicans don't love track and field, technically.
Jamaicans are very proud of their athletes (except for their wavering love for Asafa Powell). They will stop what they are doing to watch a race on television. Some will spend thousands to go to the stadium to watch the Jamaica Invitational and Trials. Many will spend to get Boys and Girls Champs tickets (if they aren't sold out). But let's be honest, apart from the sprints and the hurdles do Jamaicans really care?
If the IAAF and the IOC decide to cut out the 100m, 200m, 400m and the respective hurdles events from their championships, Jamaicans would be outraged. However, I don't think Jamaicans would give two flies if the field events and long distance races were cut. If you ask the average Jamaican who runs sprints for Jamaica, whether male or female, Bolt will be the first thing out of their mouth and then start listing out the rest. Ask that same person name two long/high jumpers, throwers or any long distance (800m,1500m), they will either say "ahmmm" or look in the sky and scratch their head like they are trying to remember.
Obviously the reason why they don't is because Jamaica has not produced any spectacular athlete to dominate those events, apart from O'Dayne Richards, James Beckford, Kenia Sinclair or Trecia Smith (names that some of you may Google because you have little to no recollection of who they are). However, if you do "love" the sport of track and field, you would make a huge effort to watch these events. People who love cricket will follow all formats of the game. People who love swimming will follow all the formats. You get my point, hopefully.
This is not to criticize any Jamaican fan who claim they are lovers of the sport. This is just to clarify that you love a selected aspect of the sport and if I am to be fair, you only love when certain athletes run. So let's not make it seem like our hearts yearn for track and field. It does not. It will never.
If you think I'm wrong, you can comment.
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