JAMAICAN Olympian Dr Cynthia Thompson is dead.

The Jamaica Observer understands that Dr Thompson passed away at the University Hospital of the West Indies yesterday after a brief illness. Reports are that she had gone in to adjust her pacemaker and developed an infection. She was 96 and was the oldest -living Jamaican Olympian.

Thompson, dubbed the pioneer of Jamaican women sprinters, was one of 10 athletes selected to represent the small island at its first-ever Olympic Games in London, England, in 1948, and became the first Jamaican female to make an Olympic Games 100m final, where she finished sixth in 12.6 seconds. She also advanced to the semi-finals of the 200m.

“I feel honoured and I feel blessed that I survived some of my colleagues, and I am thankful that I have lived to see the new era of all these champions that we are creating,” Dr Thompson told the Observer just prior to the 2016 Rio Olympics.

“I hope that God will bless them and that they will keep on passing the baton and continue making records, and as Usain (Bolt) says, tracks and records and continue to keep Jamaica’s name high, high, real high,” she emphasised.

Thompson, who was ranked fourth going into the 1948 Olympics, would later reveal she was extremely weak because the two-week boat ride took its toll on her body. The race was won by Fanny Blankers-Koen of the Netherlands in 11.9 seconds.

That year, Jamaica won three medals courtesy of a gold and two silver, and placed ninth overall out of 53 countries.

Jamaica, still under British rule, surprised the world, finishing first and second in the men’s 400m as Arthur Wint struck gold in an Olympic record of 46.2 seconds with Herb McKenley narrowly behind in second with 46.4 seconds. Wint would return to grab silver in the 800m in 1:49.2 minutes behind American Mal Whitfield with 1:49.2 minutes.

“Someone has to start, and I hope that I did my duty well so that other athletes coming after can build on a strong foundation,” said Dr Thompson, a retired paediatrician.

Dr Thompson, who was dubbed the West Indian Thunderbolt, is a past student of St Hugh’s High School, and joined her schoolmate Vinton Beckett as two of the four pioneering ladies who made that first Olympic trip. The other two were Carmen Phipps and Kathleen Russell.