FOLLOWING their best-ever placing at the World Championships on the medals table where they finished second, Jamaica’s head coach, Michael Clarke, has described the achievement as colossal.

“For a population of 2.8 million competing against populations of vast numbers, it’s a huge ratio; the USA with 320 million, China is 1.3 billion (people), far better economy, far better advancement in various areas of sports science, far greater number of persons to choose from, the achievement is colossal,” said Clarke.

Jamaica finished with 12 medals, inclusive of seven gold, two silver, and three bronze to be second to Kenya, who also had seven gold, but 16 medals overall. The United States of America, with six gold and 18 medals overall, were third, ahead of Great Britain with four gold and seven medals total.

Ethiopia, Poland, Canada, Germany, Russia and Cuba completed the top 10. Host country China was 11th with one old and nine medal overall.

On the points table, Jamaica finished third with 136 points behind the Americans with 214 and Kenya on 173. Germany were fourth on 113, with both China and Britain tied on 94 points.

“We placed second overall in a championship such as that. It’s really a testimony to the greatness of our very small nation. Many (larger) countries would love to be called in the first three in terms of position and achievement, but they are not. To be honest, I think it’s a very envied position and I think we ought to be very proud,” he added.

This second-place finish by Jamaica was their best since the championship started in 1983 where they finished 11th with three medals courtesy of one gold by Bert Cameron in the 400m, one silver and a bronze.

In 2009, Jamaica achieved their best medal haul of 13, inclusive of seven gold, four silver, and three bronze in Berlin, but ended in third place behind the Americans and Russia.

Clarke, one of, if not the most successful high school coach with 14 titles, having led Jamaica College to seven, Calabar to six, and achieved his first with St Jago High in 1987, said the writing was on the wall pointing to a very good championship for Jamaica.

“Based on the results of the trials, we saw evidence of the quality. You begin to make comparison of the performances and the possibility exists that we would have done well,” said Clarke,

He continued: “If all had gone right, we could have garnered more medals. But I am told this is the best performance ever, not in the medal count, but the amount of numbers in the finals and semi-finals.”

With Jamaica’s record- equalling gold medal of seven, the tiny island of wood and water with an area of 4, 411 square miles, stunned the world capturing three of the four relays.

Clarke, who was directly responsible for the 4x100m relays, had one word to describe Jamaica’s achievement “Fantastic”.

Jamaica won both the male and female 4x100m relays, then shocked the favourites USA in the women’s 4x400m in an enthralling battle. The men’s 4x400m finished fourth and missed a medal by four thousandth of a second.

“If you check the history, I don’t know how many times this kind of feat has been repeated if, any at all, achieved. If you do some research, then you will see it’s one of the major highlights of these championships from the inception to this point,” he pointed out.

“It is really an outstanding statement to the world that Jamaica is not a super power by any means, by economy or size, but we are indeed a superpower by our performances in track and field,” he highlighted.