Track and field fans are used to seeing Jamaican athletes win medals at the Olympics, but this year in Paris, athletes from other Caribbean nations have also made a name for themselves.
“It was just our turn, man,” said Thea LaFond, who won gold in the triple jump, marking the first Olympic medal for her island, Dominica. “It kind of becomes like truly a family. When we say one Caribbean, one love; one Caribbean, one love.”
Jamaica has won six medals, mainly for its unexpected success in field events, but this year’s medals also came from St. Lucia, Dominica, and Grenada.
Caribbean athletes in track and field share a strong bond. “You know, ‘One Caribbean always,’” Julien Alfred of St. Lucia said. “When one Caribbean athlete wins, the whole Caribbean celebrates.”
Alfred started the trend by beating American favorite Sha’carri Richardson in the 100 meters, earning St. Lucia’s first Olympic medal, and then added a silver in the 200 meters.
Marileidy Paulino brought more success by winning gold in the 400 meters, making her the first woman from the Dominican Republic to win gold in any Olympic sport.
“We have been developing and showing that this is not just for the developed countries,” Paulino said. “The Dominican Republic is having a rebirth.”
This was the Dominican Republic’s first gold medal since Felix Sánchez won the 400 hurdles in 2012. The island nations and their athletes often support each other, especially during hurricanes.
A month ago, Hurricane Beryl severely damaged Barbados and Jamaica, with parts of St. Vincent and the Grenadines almost completely destroyed.
“We actually got lucky. That’s probably one of the first hurricanes that did not touch Dominica,” LaFond said. “But your heart always goes out to St. Vincent the Grenadines and all the other islands that were affected, especially Jamaica. That was quite scary.”
When the hurricane struck, LaFond, who is based in Maryland, immediately checked in with Shanieka Ricketts from Jamaica, who won silver in the triple jump in Paris.
“It’s during these times that you see how strong the Caribbean is and how quickly we help each other when needed,” LaFond said. “It puts things in perspective. A tough workout or a bad meet doesn’t seem so bad when you’re worried about your loved ones. We’re strong people.”
Ricketts was supposed to fly to Europe for a training camp in Paris the day after Hurricane Beryl hit Jamaica.
“We had to cancel our plans and wait until the hurricane was over,” Ricketts said, noting that she flew to Europe about a week later.
So, did she lose a week of training? Not exactly. “I have a small gym set up in my garage, so that’s what we used during that time,” Ricketts said.
Grenada, another Caribbean country, won two bronze medals: Anderson Peters in javelin and Lindon Victor in decathlon.
On Friday, three Cuban-born athletes now competing for European countries took the podium in the men’s triple jump: Jordan Diaz of Spain (gold), Pedro Pichardo of Portugal (silver), and Andy Diaz of Italy (bronze).
“My family that’s in Cuba, my entire life back there,” Jordan Diaz said. “It was a very tough decision, but if I had to make the same choice again, I would.”
