Whatsup Squad,
Today’s a great day because track and field finally kicks off at the Olympics.
And for all my Jamaicans, that means it’s time to assert our dominance.
Measuring Olympic Success
The Olympics allows every country to see how they stack up against the rest of the world.
The most straightforward measure of Olympic success, and the one used as the official scoreboard, is the medal tally.
By this measure, America has clearly been the leader.
But these tallies are in part the result of economic and demographic advantages.
Rich countries, for example, can invest more money than poor ones in sporting infrastructure and coaching.
At 592 athletes, the United States will have the largest presence at the Paris Olympics.
At the Tokyo Games in 2021, for example, America, with a quarter of global GDP, won a tenth of the medals. It was the largest country on both measures.
Watch out for Jamaica
Instead of only relying on the standard medal tally, The Economist put together charts to show other ways of measuring national Olympic greatness.
When adjusting the final medal tally for GDP, Jamaica stands tallest and America shoots down the ranking to 50th.
Most of Jamaica’s medals come from just one event, track and field.
Population size plays a role, too. Bigger countries should, in theory, have a deeper pool of talent.
That makes a ranking of medals per 1 million people another way to normalize national performance.
By this measure, America sits at 35th.
Jamaica—home to fewer than 3 million people—tops the charts again with 3.5 medals per million people.
No single measure is perfect, but Jamaica’s relative dominance is noteworthy.
The criteria of medals per person tends to favor small countries, many of which specialize in one sport.
But to say Jamaican sporting culture is limited to one sport would be going too far.
Getting Off Track
Sprinting is the ultimate expression of power, coordination and athleticism. If you sprint well, you are by definition athletic.
Science supports the idea that sprinting provides a foundation for nearly every sport, so Jamaica will always be in a great position to expand its dominance.
And that process is already underway.
Jamaica has achieved global recognition in cricket, soccer, and even bobsled.
It’s been 36 years since Jamaica made its Winter Olympic debut at the 1988 Games, an unlikely appearance which was later immortalized in the Disney feature film Cool Runnings.
And perhaps more importantly, the team inspired generations of Jamaican winter sports stars across bobsled, alpine skiing, and skeleton.
Soccer is arguably the most popular sport in Jamaica, a popularity that took a step further when the Reggae Boyz stepped onto the global stage at the 1998 World Cup.
Rocking their memorable black, green, and gold kits, they became the first ever Caribbean nation to qualify for the tournament.
Though they failed to advance beyond the group stage, the Reggae Girlz would later demonstrate the island’s prowess on the pitch at the 2023 World Cup.
Not only did they win their first ever match at a World Cup, but they also advanced to the Round of 16 after holding both France and Brazil to 0–0 draws.
It's already a remarkable success story for the Reggae Girlz, but it’s even more impressive given their lack of funding.
In 2008 and 2016, the Jamaica Football Federation disbanded the women's team, claiming it was impossible given its finances, despite continuing to fund the men's side.
Luckily, funding came from elsewhere.
First from Bob Marley's daughter Cedella Marley, who stepped in to help finance the team through the family's Bob Marley Foundation.
Then, during the buildup to the 2023 Women's World Cup, through a crowdfunding page that brought in close to $50,000 to help cover costs.
Even with fewer than 3 million people and a lack of funding, Jamaica continues to beat the odds.
The Future of Sport in Jamaica
While we turn to Paris to see if another Jamaican will be crowned the world’s fastest man and/or women, I’m reminded of the common Jamaican saying:
"Wi likkle but wi tallawah"
It loosely translates to “we may be little but we are strong and can do anything".
Track and field is just the beginning. The capital of sprinting can become the capital of sports training.
Elite athletes understand that gold medals and championships are made in the offseason.
I see a future where athletes from the top sports leagues around the world travel to Jamaica to get world-class sprint training.
Imagine the impact a week-long “Speed Camp” could have on the local economy.
Final Thoughts
Jamaica has already achieved outsized Olympic success, but sharing its sprinting secrets through offseason training could be a tool to elevate the entire sports ecosystem.
The island’s warm hospitality and abundance of top coaches make it an ideal destination to hone in on athletic development.
And with more investment, the sky is the limit for Jamaica and its athletes.
Until next time ✌🏾
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