CALIFORNIA, United States — It was a medal-rich experience for Jamaica at the Los Angeles Special Olympics World Games.

Medals were won in 29 finals, including 10 gold for either individual or team performances.

It was the kind of display to make Jamaicans proud as the athletes and staff prepared to return to the island today.

Jamaica’s Kirk Wint was a major highlight. Wheeled into the track venue on a chair, he propelled himself in a crouched style on hands and feet to narrowly miss the bronze medal in the 50-metre race. Spectators cheered from start to finish and were still congratulating him after he left the venue. The following day he won gold in the softball throw.

“The 2015 SOWSG (Special Olympics World Summer Games) were a huge success for Team Jamaica. Our athletes came here to compete and do their best, and they did exactly that. We started with zero medals and we are leaving with so many,” Lorna Bell, the executive director of Special Olympics Jamaica (SOJ), told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

“I am thankful especially for the experience and the chance they were given to represent their country. It brought them a sense of joy, accomplishment, service, and progress. And the love they were shown was second to none! It is the simple things that make a meaningful impact. These games have impacted each and everyone in our delegation, and I humbled to have such a great support system of volunteers, staff, partners, and sponsors who went above and beyond,” she added.

Attention is already on the World Winter Games, which is scheduled be hosted in Austria in March 2017.

Bell, the head of delegation for the contingent in Los Angeles, said preparation for Austria will kick into gear as soon as she returns to Jamaica.

“Our next international event will be the SO Winter Games in Austria. These Games will be my focus when I return home, as planning has to start now to ensure our athletes receive quality training and also funding,” said the SOJ executive director.

The Jamaicans were a big hit at the 2013 Winter Games in the Republic of Korea.

The tropical island won silver medals in two ice figure skating categories to go with their second-place finish in floor hockey.

The Special Olympics movement aims to provide year-round training and competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

The disabilities can either be acquired or genetic, and can include cases of Down’s syndrome, autism, traumatic brain injury and cerebral palsy.