Jamaica's lesser lights beginning to shine through

lerone clarke winning gold

As was expected, Jamaica’s track and field athletes were expected to carry the burden at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India. So far, with a team comprised primarily of some this island’s lesser known athletes, they have won all of Jamaica’s medals to date and there is little chance of a medal coming from any other sport. The swimmers, for all their valiant efforts are done. The boxers have been pummeled into submission and the table tennis team were never going to be in the medal hunt. That leaves the netball team, that is in the hunt for a medal. In 2006, all but one of the 22 medals Jamaica won, came from the track and field athletes.
So far, Jamaica has three medals, two gold and a silver, courtesy of Lerone Clarke, (100 metres), Trecia Smith (Triple Jump) and Dorian Scott (Shot Putt).
Clarke is not a household name in Jamaica. This despite him being a member of Jamaica’s successful sprint relay teams that features five of the fastest men in the world – Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell, Yohan Blake, Nesta Carter and Michael Frater. It’s easy to see why he has been overshadowed. People have come up to me here in Jamaica and asked who is this Lerone Clarke? So you can imagine what the Indians and the rest of the world are thinking. Hopefully, now that he is the Commonwealth Games champ, he will get some well-deserved recognition.
Smith, the 2005 World Triple Jump champion, is still not well known here in Jamaica. Even after her victory in Helsinki, many people weren’t even sure who she was. This, I believe has a lot to with the fact that she lives in the United Kingdom and is only seen here in Jamaica at the National Championships. That and the fact that she has spent too much time being injured and not enough in actual competition, which makes her – somewhat unfairly – forgettable.
And speaking of being injured,  Dorian Scott has spent a lot of time between major meets recovering from major injury. Still, he remains loyal to his country and continues to come through in moments like these. That for me, makes him very memorable.
I am not sure if we will be winning any more medals on the track for the remainder of these games what with the spate of injuries and near misses being experienced by our lesser known athletes but with the exception of a few, who have reportedly quit in the face of minor adversity, the athletes have done better than certainly I expected.
Sure, we didn’t send our stars but based on what I have seen so far we have done very well.
While saying that I will correct myself by saying that Nickeisha Wilson has a great shot at a medal in the 400-metre hurdles. She has come into her own late this season and we wish her well.
We can only hope people like Oshane Bailey and Ramone McKenzie can overcome their niggles and give Jamaica a shot at the men’s sprint relays. It would be just reward for them all to get a medal in the event.
Of course, I couldn’t close without mentioning the near misses by Errol Keddo in the 110 hurdles who finished fourth by .01 seconds, Zara Northover who was fourth in the shot putt, and Peaches Roach who was fourth in the heptathlon. These are stars in the making and it will only be a matter of time before their glow will be noticed by all.

Clarke seen winning gold, has been outstanding for Jamaica but gets little recognition