07/08/2012
The Jamaican Olympic team proudly celebrated 50 years of national independence yesterday, having got their sprinting schedule off to the most impressive of starts.
The Caribbean Island with a population of less than 3 million has already won gold in the men’s and women’s
100m finals after
Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce ran to victory at the weekend.
Sprinter Asafa Powell greeted his nation with the most heartfelt of messages: “My Country, My Home, My People, My Present, My Past and My Future. Jamaica Happy 50th Birthday. One Love!”
Discus thrower Jason Morgan joined in the celebrations to tweet: “Happy 50th JAMAICA. this is the land of my birth,” adding: “On this day. I consider it more than special. I compete at my first olympic games.”
Having defended the first of his three Olympic titles, Usain Bolt arose in the best of spirits to find he had totalled an astonishing 1 million followers on Twitter. He greeted his fans with a cheery photo of himself, adding: “I am up and ready to go again.”
Bolt stood alongside silver medal-winning compatriot Yohan Blake in yesterday’s medal ceremony, but only after some last-minute grooming. The Olympic champion was pictured earlier in the day receiving a sharp haircut from team Jamaica’s resident barber, decathlete Maurice Smith.
With the men’s and women’s 200m and 4x100m final still to come, Smith may have a few more haircuts to give before the week is out.
You can follow these and other Olympic athletes in the Official Olympic Athletes’ Hub. Check it out!