Jamaica, known for its top sprinters like Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, is now also excelling in field events.
On Wednesday, Roje Stona won gold in the discus throw, marking Jamaica’s fourth field event medal at the 2024 Olympics. This is a significant increase for a country that had only won two field event medals in its history. In contrast, Jamaica’s sprinters have only earned one medal so far in Paris.
American shot put champion Ryan Crouser, who was present to watch Stona, praised Jamaica’s achievements, saying, “For a country of 3 million people, that’s extremely impressive.”
Stona set a new Olympic record with his discus throw of 70 meters (229 feet, 8 inches). His victory follows silver medals by Wayne Pinnock in the men’s long jump and Shanieka Ricketts in the women’s triple jump, and a bronze by Rajindra Campbell in the men’s shot put.
Stona, the first Jamaican to win an Olympic medal in the discus, said, “We should put more support into the field events. Discus, shot put — I mean, everything. The track gets a lot of attention, but the field events have been underrated, and we should get more support.”
Bolt won gold in the 100 and 200 meters at three consecutive Olympics, along with relay golds. Other famous Jamaican runners include Fraser-Pryce, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Asafa Powell, and Merlene Ottey.
Crouser, who has been working closely with Stona since March, admitted that watching from the sidelines was more stressful than competing. “Being in the stands is way, way more nerve-wracking because you have just as much adrenaline but no outlet. Coaching’s tough,” he said.
