Jamaica’s sporting prowess has been well-documented across disciplines, creating several regional and event firsts. With the various competitions heating up across the globe, we look at five of the noted firsts by the country.
Bobsledding
Jamaica’s athletic ability on the track has always been eye-catching, however, it was the country’s presence on the ice that caught global attention following the country’s first-ever bobsled team’s historic participation at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.
The team, in its maiden appearance, became the first Caribbean country to participate in a winter games.
Their participation was the muse for the Hollywood flick “Cool Runnings,” which depicts the intrigue and fanfare around their ‘journey to history’ in Calgary.
FIFA Men’s World Cup-1998
The moment that signalled the region’s football pedigree for the biggest stage as the Reggae Boyz became the first English-speaking Caribbean Football team to participate in the premiere football tournament.
FIFA Women’s World Cup-2018
A year which remains the most significant in the country’s women’s football history as the first Caribbean team to participate in a women’s World Cup. Their entry came 20 years following the Reggae Boyz’s trip to the 1998 Men’s tournament, also in France, In what seemed a poetic moment in nations’ football history.
FIFA Women’s World Cup-2022
Following their previous World Cup feat, Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz, who made history again with consecutive appearances, went a step further after knocking out Brazil in their final group game to become the first Caribbean team to advance to the round of 16 of the tournament.
Olympic Games-Beijing-2008
In a period described as the catalyst for Jamaica’s sprinting ‘gold rush,’ the trio of Shelly Ann-Fraser-Pryce, Sherone Simpson, and Kerron Stewart made a historic clean sweep in the final of the Women’s 100 metres with a 1,2,2 finish to become the first country claim three medals in the event at the Olympics.
Alpine Skiing
The Black, Green and Gold colours of the nation’s flag were again a vibrant presence in the “Winter Games” as Jamaican skier Benjamin Alexander created history as the first representative from the region to participate in the Olympic Alpine Skiing.
Alexander made the historic run at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China.
