THE outpouring of concern worldwide for the well-being of Mr Usain Bolt after news emerged of his early Sunday morning car crash, albeit minor, in Half-Way-Tree is indicative of the wide support he enjoys.

Jamaicans in particular are relieved that Mr Bolt, easily the biggest star among our treasure chest of brilliant athletes, was not injured in the mishap, especially at this time so close to our national trials and the London Olympic Games.

At the root of our relief is our own hope that he will do well at the Olympics, maybe even smashing his own world records in the individual sprint events and that which he helped the Jamaica team set in the 4×100 metre relay at the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea last summer.

Indeed, we also share his desire to become a legend in world athletics and hope that he will continue to compete as long as possible, bringing further joy and pride to the Jamaican people, and securing his and his family’s financial future.

Against that background, we hope that Mr Bolt’s handlers and his parents have already had a serious discussion with him about his responsibilities, especially given that this was his second motor vehicle mishap in three years.

We are not here advocating that anyone try to restrict Mr Bolt’s nocturnal activities. He is, after all, a very young man, and young people, for the most part, enjoy a good party. In addition, partying seems to be his way of relaxing.

However, it appears to us that the advice of more experienced individuals would help to give Mr Bolt greater focus on his goals and would probably push him to achieve more.

It’s the least they can do for someone so talented and affable and who has proven to be a great ambassador for Jamaica.

Hoping for the best from London

We are heartened by the news that the Jamaica Business Development Corporation has already shipped 380 locally manufactured product brands to the United Kingdom under the Meet Jamaica 2012 initiative.

Readers will recall that the intention of this programme is to promote and generate business for Jamaica at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

According to Jamaica Promotions, one of the agencies at the helm of the promotion, 58 suppliers have signed on to the programme and as such will have the opportunity of promoting their products at two major events — Jamaica House, a trade fair scheduled for the O2 Arena; and Jamaica in the Square set for Birmingham City’s Victoria Square.

The crowd-pulling magnetism of the Olympic Games, attracting millions of spectators across the globe, is the reason sponsors and the host countries pump millions of dollars into each staging of these games. For no one can successfully argue against the fact that sport is extremely big business that can guarantee impressive financial returns to those who adopt savvy marketing and promotional techniques to take advantage of audience interest.

Our athletes, through their exceptional performances, have already created huge worldwide interest in Jamaica. It is past time that the country convert that interest into business opportunities.

Here’s hoping that both our athletes and our businesses will reap rich rewards in London.