Jamaica: Caribbean Region Rallies Behind Bolt  · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

This post is part of our special coverage of the London 2012 Olympics.
Jamaican bloggers – and indeed netizens from the wider Caribbean region – are continuing to celebrate the island's successes at the London Olympic Games. Unsurprisingly, Usain Bolt is at the centre of the online discussion, after he emerged victorious in the Men's 200 metre race as well, followed by two of his fastest compatriots, Yohan Blake and Warren Weir, who took the silver and the bronze medals respectively.
Talk about Jamaican domination of an event! Tallawah called the three sprinters “the dream team”, saying:
On Thursday the stage was set in London for an unprecedented achievement for Team Jamaica – and we weren’t let down. By the time the riveting Men’s 200M final came to an end, Jamaica had scooped up all three medals, with living legend Usain Gold besting the competition in 19.32 secs…
All in all, Thursday was nothing short of a sensational occasion that served to ratchet up our medal count from six to nine, while showing yet again that Jamaica is a bonafide powerhouse in athletics.
Active Voice republished a few photos from the event, explaining:
They give a better insight into Jamaica’s extraordinary athletes than you get from mass media. I think my favourite photo is the one of him with his coach, Glen Mills. You can clearly see the affection between them from the way Usain and Mills are talking to one another. Mills truly is a star in his own right; after all he’s responsible for training the two fastest men in the world today, Bolt and Yohan Blake, who won gold and silver in the Olympic 100m a couple of days ago.
The post was also chock-full of interesting tidbits from Twitter (including Warren Weir's Twitter handle) and videos that “help illuminate…something about the ‘never say die’ nature of Jamaican culture”.
Nadine, Unscripted was thrilled at Jamaica's clean sweep of the event, saying:
Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake, and Warren Weir blew everyone’s minds and silenced the critics when they performed an epic feat by scooping up the gold, silver, and bronze medals, respectively.
While I’m proud of all our athletes, I’m compelled to single out Olympics newcomer, Weir, who gave us a pleasant surprise us when first, he qualified for the finals, and then copped the bronze medal. A great future lies before him. It’s an awesome feeling to behold people, especially the youth, living their destiny.
Of course, talk of Bolt's legendary athletic status was bound to come up – as was the Carl Lewis accusation that set off the whole debate. Barbados diaspora blogger J-did came to Bolt's defense:
I dont know why Carl Lewis dont keep his mouth shut. Its painful to see one black man a try to pull down another one cause him not from the same country. Carl I sure you wouldn't have all this negative talk if Bolt was an American.
The thing I had to say is growing up in Barbados we used to just get the American Olymnpic coverage so I remember clearly the coverage of the 84 Olympics when Carl was chasing those 4 gold medals. Man I was cheering for him so loudly. I mean even in 88 when he get beat by Ben Johnson I was so happy when Ben get disqualify then cause the US propaganda machine had Carl Lewis raised to icon level in my eyes.
Until now. Just finding everytime he says something negative about Bolt or Jamaica it just takes him down a peg in my eyes.
On Twitter, under the hashtags #usain bolt and #carl lewis, there was also a great deal of discussion not only about Lewis’ statement, but about Bolt's response:
@rameshlaus: #US media not happy with #Usain #Bolt‘s verbal assault on da legend #Carl #Lewis. Will US endorsements dry for #Usain ? http://sports.yahoo.com/news/olympics–usain-bolt-hurts-own-image-with-shot-at-carl-lewis.html …
@blackmattic: #Carl Lewis you sound like a stone cold hater, assuming #Usain Bolt is using drugs. Stop killing yourself in the media.
@daopfadoju: How is there a debate about the greatest Olympic Sprinter ? #Jesse Owens, #Carl Lewis were brilliant no doubt but #Usain Bolt double double?
Despite all the controversy, Jamaicans are still finding humour in the midst of their Olympic moments, as Annie Paul chronicles in this post.
Finally, Trinidad and Tobago News Blog republished a column by Dr. Selwyn Cudjoe, which suggested that the track and field athletes’ success at the Olympic games had great regional significance:
The performances of our athletes allow older citizens to feel a sense of nationalist pride, to lift our heads high and say that in spite of the human misery around us we can still maintain some dignity in a world in which, more and more, we are having less and less control.
But, our younger ones need wholesome role models. Their achievements say to them there is a whole world of glory awaiting them if they only put their minds to a task and do it. Like Bolt, it is so much about believing in one self and one’s abilities.
This post is part of our special coverage of the London 2012 Olympics.