Since the early 20th century, Jamaica has won 65 Commonwealth Golds, 40 World Championship Golds and 27jamica at the olympics Olympic gold medals in athletics alone. Jamaica has a population of 2.85 million people, making it the 138th most populous country in the world.

History

Early times Some of the first noted sprinters of Jamaican origin were Alfred R. Downer and G. C. Foster. Downer was Scottish national champion in the 100, 220, and 440 yards events for three consecutive years from 1893, but later lost his amateur status, preventing him from participating further. Foster attempted to enter the 1908 Summer Olympics, but was prevented from doing so as Jamaica was not yet affiliated to the International Olympic Committee. He later became a noted athletics coach.Bertram, Arnold (2012). Jamaica's road to the Olympic Games (Pt I) – Jamaica Gleaner. Published 4 February 2012. Retrieved 24 November 2012.

Norman Manley, who would later go on to become premier of Jamaica, was an outstanding athlete at Jamaica College, winning six medals in the Jamaican schoolboy championships in 1911, including the 100 yards in 10 seconds, an island schoolboy record not broken until 1952. That time would have put young Manley into the final of that event in both the 1908 and 1912 Olympics.Patrick Robinson, Jamaican Athletics: A Model for 2012 and the World (London: Black Amber, 2009), p. 4.

1930s In 1930, Jamaica entered its first-ever athletics team into an international competition. It was the 1930 Central American and Caribbean Games. Joseph Mackenzie, former student at St. George's College, won a silver medal in the high jump with a jump of 1.75 m becoming Jamaica's first ever international medal winner.

In 1934, Jamaica entered their first ever team into the British Empire Games (now known as the Commonwealth Games) the team won a silver in swimming and Bernard Leopold Prendergast won a bronze in the discus throw with a 40.23m throw.

1940s The first part of the forties was interrupted by the Second World War. 3 years after the war in 1948, led by an African American Joseph J. Yancey Jamaica made their first ever Olympic appearance at the London Olympics and surprised the world by winning 1 gold and two silvers. These medals were won by Arthur Wint and Herbert Mckenley and started a great sprinting tradition. These two men are regarded as the pioneers of Jamaican athletics. In the 400 m final McKenley ran out of steam in the last 100 m and Wint passed him to become Jamaica's first Olympic Gold Medallist. Wint narrowly missed out on a Gold in the 800 m but still went home a hero.Robinson, Jamaican Athletics, pp. 22, 32-5.

1950s In the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, Jamaican heroes Arthur Wint and Herb Mckenley were back along with George Rhoden and Leslie Laing. Together these four made up the gold medal-winning 4 × 400 m relay team becoming the only team other than the Americans to hold a 4 × 400 m world record by running 3:03.9 in the final. George Rhoden led a Jamaican one-two with Herb Mckenley in the (individual) 400 m and Mckenley won his second silver in the closest 100 m in Olympic history. Wint won another silver in the 800 m. Jamaica finished a remarkable 13th in the medal table ahead of the likes of Japan, Great Britain and Canada.Robinson, Jamaican Athletics, pg. 18.

At the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, Jamaica won one gold courtesy of Keith Gardner in the 120-yard hurdles. Jamaica sent one sole competitor to the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne. It was Keith Gardner but he failed to get through the first round leaving Jamaica with no medals.

At the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, Jamaica won a record haul of 4 golds, 2 silvers and 1 bronze. Paul Foreman led a Jamaican one-two with Deryck Taylor in the long jump, Ernest Haisley won gold in high jump and Keith Gardner retained his 120yards hurdle title by setting a new commonwealth record of 14.0 seconds and won another gold in the 100yards.

1960s For the 1960 Olympics, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados entered a joint team known as the British West Indies Federation (BWI). The team won two bronzes from George Kerr in the 800 m and the men's 4 × 400 m relay team of Kerr, James Wedderburn, Keith Gardner and Malcolm Spence.Robinson, Jamaican Athletics, pg. 16.

At the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Jamaica won two athletics golds. One in the men's 440 yards from George Kerr and one from the men's 4 × 440 yards relay of Kerr, Laurie Khan, Malcolm Spence and Mel Spence. Kerr then followed up with silver in the 880 yards.

1964: Jamaican did not win a medal but Jamaican came fourth in the women's 200 meter-young 16 years old Una L. Morris; George Kerr-800 meters; and the men's 4 × 100 meters. This is the first time that a Jamaican female so young that was placed in a final. This was the beginning of the Jamaican women's recognition internationally.

The 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were the first to be held in Jamaica and the first outside the "White Commonwealth". Much to the disappointment of the Kingston crowd, Jamaica did not win any gold medals. Carmen Smith and Una Morris became Jamaica's first major female athletics medalists by winning a silver and bronzes respectively. The Jamaican Men's 4x110yards team of Lynnsworth Headley, Mike Fray, Pablo McNeill and Wellesley Clayton also got silver and there were another three bronzes won by the team on the track.

At the 1968 Olympics, Lennox Miller won a silver medal behind record breaking Jim Hines in the 100 m.Robinson, Jamaican Athletics, p. 12. The Jamaican 4 × 100 m relay team was a huge gold medal prospect as they had the 100 m silver medalist Lennox Miller, they smashed the world record in the heats but Errol Stewart, Mike Fray, Clifton Forbes and Lennox Miller could only manage fourth place in the final and looked on as the Americans broke the world record they had set only a day before. Jamaica left Mexico with a sole silver medal.Robinson, Jamaican Athletics, pp. 46-47.

1970s In 1970, Jamaica equalled its 1958 record haul in the 1970 British Commonwealth Games of 4 golds 2 silvers and a bronze. Marilyn Neufville won gold for Jamaica in the 400 m after switching to Jamaica from her adopted nation, Great Britain, winning in a world record time of 51.02.Robinson, Jamaican Athletics, pg. 7. A nineteen-year-old Donald Quarrie won two golds by winning the sprint double and led a one-two with Lennox Miller in the 100 m. The men's 4 × 100 m team of Carl Lawson, Don Quarrie, Erroll Stewart and Lennox Miller also won gold.

At the 1972 Olympic Games in München, it was once again Lennox Miller that won the sole medal this time it was bronze. The 1974 British Commonwealth Games were held in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Quarrie retained his Commonwealth Gold Medals. In 1976 Donald Quarrie managed to become Jamaica's first Olympic champion in 24 years when he won the 200 m at the Montreal Olympics. Quarrie also finished second in the 100 m, which earned him a silver medal.Robinson, Jamaican Athletics, pg. 20. In 1978 Donald Quarrie won the 100 m Commonwealth Gold for the third time in a row. The Men's 4 × 400 m relay team of Bertland Cameron, Clive Barriffe, Colin Bradford and Floyd Brown won silver. Colin Bradford won bronze in the 200 m and another bronze with the Men's 4 × 100 m team of Errol Quarrie, Floyd Brown and Oliver Heywood.

1980s At the 1980 Moscow Olympics, Jamaica won a bronze medal in cycling and won two more bronze medals in athletics. Those medals came thanks to Donald Quarrie in the 200 m and 20-year-old Merlene Ottey who became the first female athlete from an English speaking Caribbean island to win an Olympic medal after winning bronze in the 200 m. The 1982 Commonwealth Games was where Ottey won her first gold medal, in the 200 m by setting a new commonwealth record of 22.19 seconds. She also won silver in the 100 m and helped the Jamaican women's 4 × 100 m team of Cathy Rattray-Williams, Grace Jackson and Leileth Hodges to bronze. Bertland "Bert" Cameron became 400 m Commonwealth champion winning him Jamaica Sportsman of the Year.

In 1983, the first ever World Championships in Athletics were held. This gave Jamaican athletes more opportunities to win major medals. Bert Cameron became the first ever 400 m World Champion.Robinson, Jamaican Athletics, pg. 8.

Merlene Ottey also got silver in the 200 m. The women's 4 × 100 m team (Leleith Hodges, Jacqueline Pusey, Juliet Cuthbert, and Merlene Ottey) also won a bronze medal.

At the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, Merlene Ottey-Page won two bronzes (in the 100 and 200 m). The men's 4 × 100 m team of Al Lawrence, Greg Meghoo, Donald Quarrie and Ray Stewart won Olympic silver as well. Jamaica boycotted the 1986 Commonwealth Games over Margaret Thatcher's stance on apartheid era South Africa. They were however at the 1987 World Athletics Championships. There were no gold medallists but Raymond Stewart won silver in the 100 m and Merlene Ottey won two more bronzes (again in the 100 m and 200 m) to put in her medal cabinet. The Men's 4 × 100 m team of John Mair, Andrew Smith, Clive Wright and Raymond Stewart won another bronze to add to the medal tally. At the 1988 Olympics in Seoul Grace Jackson won one silver in the 200 m.Robinson, Jamaican Athletics, pg. 14.

So, too, did the men's 4 × 400 m relay team of Howard Davis (Earl Mellis), Devon Morris, Winthrop Graham and Bert Cameron.

1990s

The early nineties was a successful time for Jamaican athletics with Merlene Ottey on top form. The decade started with the Commonwealth Games in Auckland. Ottey won the sprint double just like Quarrie had done 26 years before her. Both men's relay teams won bronzes. The 4 × 100 m team featured Clive Wright, John Mair, Raymond Stewart and Wayne Watson. The 4 × 400 m team featured Wright, Devon Morris, Howard Burnett and Mair. Next up was the 1991 World Championships in Japan the only gold was the women's 4 × 100 m team of Dahlia Duhaney, Juliet Cuthbert, Beverly McDonald and Ottey.Robinson, Jamaican Athletics, pg. 41.

Winthrop Graham managed silver in the 400 m hurdles and Ottey once again won two bronzes in the 100 m and 200 m, and the men's 4 × 400 m team of Patrick O'Connor, Devon Morris, Winthrop Graham and Seymour Fagan also won bronze giving Jamaica a record World championship medal tally of 1 gold 1 silver and 3 bronzes.

The next Olympics were in 1992 in Barcelona and Jamaica had many athletes capable of winning the Olympic Gold medal but none rose to the occasion. Cuthbert came close but could only manage two silvers (in the 100 m and 200 m).Robinson, Jamaican Athletics, p. 26. Winthrop Graham won silver in the 400 m hurdles behind record breaking Kevin Young. Ottey won two more Olympic Bronzes (that was in the 100 m and 200 m behind younger teammate Cuthbert) and many were starting to say she should retire.

A year later at the 1993 World Championships, Ottey proved the critics wrong by becoming World 200 m Champion at the age of 33. She then won silver in the 100 m. She would return to earn a bronze medal on the women's 4 × 100 m team (Michelle Freeman, Juliet Campbell, Nikole Mitchell, and Ottey). Also Winthrop Graham in the 400 m hurdles and Sandie Richards in the women's 400 m, won bronze medals.