Jamaica competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. This was the nation's fourteenth appearance at the Summer Olympics as an independent nation, although it had previously appeared in the first four editions as a British colony, and as part of the West Indies Federation. The Jamaica Olympic Association sent a total of 47 athletes to the Games, 22 men and 25 women, to compete only in track and field (the largest ever by sport), badminton, shooting, and swimming. For the second consecutive time in Olympic history, Jamaica was represented again by more female than male athletes.
With Merlene Ottey's sudden demise to compete for Slovenia at these Games, the Jamaican team featured several Olympic medalists from Sydney, including track hurdler Danny McFarlane and sprinter Sandie Richards, who followed Ottey's path as another Jamaican athlete to compete in five Olympic Games since her debut in 1988. Being the oldest and the most sophisticated athlete of the team, Richards was appointed by the committee to become the nation's flag bearer in the opening ceremony. Other notable Jamaican athletes also featured the Atkinson swimming clan Janelle, Jevon, and Alia, and top medal favorite Asafa Powell in the men's 100 metres.
Jamaica left Athens with a sterling record of five medals (two golds, one silver, and two bronze), being marked as an enormous improvement from Sydney, where the nation failed to claim a single gold. After picking up the first Olympic medal of her illustrious career, sprinter Veronica Campbell sought her sights to break a historic milestone as she became the first Jamaican athlete in history to claim an individual Olympic title in the women's 200 metres. She was also named the most decorated Jamaican athlete of the Games, after helping out her relay team produce a brilliant finish with their second gold and collecting the bronze earlier in the 100 metres. Meanwhile, Danny McFarlane added a second silver to his Olympic career hardware in the men's 400 metres hurdles, finishing behind Dominican Republic's Félix Sánchez by only a few hurdles left in the track.
Medalists
Medal Name Sport Event Date Athletics Women's 200 m * Athletics Women's 4 × 100 m relay Athletics Men's 400 m hurdles Athletics Women's 100 m * Athletics Women's 4 × 400 m relay
Athletics
Jamaican athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event at the 'A' Standard, and 1 at the 'B' Standard).
Men Track & road events AthleteEventHeatQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRankMichael Frater100 m10.202 Q10.113 Q10.296Did not advanceAsafa Powell10.061 Q9.992 Q9.951 Q9.945Dwight Thomas10.212 Q10.123 Q10.287Did not advanceUsain Bolt200 m21.055Did not advanceAsafa Powell20.774 Q20.232 Q20.564 QChristopher Williams20.572 Q20.344 q20.806Did not advanceMichael Blackwood400 m45.231 Qcolspan=2 45.002 Q45.558Davian Clarke45.542 Qcolspan=2 45.272 Q44.836Brandon Simpson45.612 Qcolspan=2 44.971 Q44.765Richard Phillips110 m hurdles13.392 Q13.443 Q13.476Did not advanceChris Pinnock13.423 Q13.474 q13.578Did not advanceMaurice Wignall13.301 Q13.393 Q13.17 NR1 Q13.214Dean Griffiths400 m Hurdles49.415 qcolspan=2 49.518Did not advanceDanny McFarlane48.531 Qcolspan=2 48.001 Q48.11Kemel Thompson48.661 Qcolspan=2 48.254Did not advanceMichael FraterPatrick JarrettWinston SmithDwight Thomas4 × 100 m relay38.714colspan=4 Did not advanceMichael BlackwoodMichael CampbellDavian ClarkeJermaine Gonzales4 × 400 m relaycolspan=4 Did not advance
Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionJames BeckfordLong jump8.204 Q8.314
Combined events – Decathlon AthleteEvent 100 m 400 m 1500 mFinalRankClaston BernardResult10.697.4814.802.1249.1314.1744.754.4055.274:36.318225 NR9Points931930777915855953762731667704Maurice SmithResult10.856.8115.241.9149.2714.0149.024.2061.524:32.74802314Points894769804723849973850673761727
Women Track & road events AthleteEventHeatQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRankAleen Bailey100 m11.201 Q11.122 Q11.133 Q11.055Veronica Campbell11.171 Q11.182 Q10.932 Q10.97Sherone Simpson11.272 Q11.091 Q11.032 Q11.076Aleen Bailey200 m22.731 Q22.972 Q22.332 Q22.424Veronica Campbell22.591 Q22.491 Q22.131 Q22.05Beverly McDonald22.902 Q22.993 Q23.026Did not advanceAllison Beckford400 m52.855colspan=2 Did not advanceNadia Davy52.044colspan=2 Did not advanceNovlene Williams50.593 Qcolspan=2 50.853Did not advanceMichelle Ballentine800 m2:01.523 Qcolspan=2 2:00.948Did not advanceDelloreen Ennis-London100 m hurdles12.772 Qcolspan=2 12.605Did not advanceBrigitte Foster12.831 Qcolspan=2 Did not advanceLacena Golding-Clarke12.863 qcolspan=2 12.693 Q12.735Patricia Allen400 m hurdles56.406colspan=2 Did not advanceDebbie-Ann Parris-Thymes55.214 qcolspan=2 54.997Did not advanceShevon Stoddart56.615colspan=2 Did not advanceAleen BaileyVeronica CampbellTayna LawrenceBeverly McDonald*Sherone Simpson4 × 100 m relay42.202 Qcolspan=4 41.73 NRMichelle BurgherNadia DavySandie RichardsRonetta Smith*Novlene Williams4 × 400 m relay3:24.922 Qcolspan=4 3:22.00 * Competed only in heats and received medals
Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionTrecia SmithTriple jump14.657 Q15.024Kimberly BarrettShot put16.4527Did not advance
Badminton
AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankNigella SaundersWomen's singlesL 4–11, 1–11Did not advance
Shooting
Jamaica has qualified a single shooter.
Women AthleteEventQualificationFinalPointsRankPointsRankDawn Kobayashi10 m air rifle383=41Did not advance
Swimming
Jamaican swimmers earned qualifying standards in the following events (up to a maximum of 2 swimmers in each event at the A-standard time, and 1 at the B-standard time):
Men AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankJevon Atkinson50 m freestyle23.6151Did not advance
Women AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankAlia Atkinson50 m freestyle27.2144Did not advance100 m breaststroke1:12.5332Did not advanceJanelle Atkinson200 m freestyle2:04.0630Did not advance400 m freestyle4:20.0028colspan=2 Did not advanceAngela Chuck100 m freestyle58.3339Did not advance
See also Jamaica at the 2003 Pan American Games Jamaica at the 2004 Summer Paralympics
References
External links Official Report of the XXVIII Olympiad Jamaica Olympic Association