PARIS, France — Four months before standing on the Olympic podium with a bronze medal around his neck, Jamaican shot putter Rajindra Campbell was on the verge of quitting the sport that had defined his life.

Self-doubt had crept into his mind, leading him to contemplate walking away from his dream.

Yet, against all odds, he became the first Jamaican to win a medal in the shot put at the Olympic Games, etching his name into the annals of sports history.

“It has been tough, because in May I was going to put this down and walk away from it,” said the 28-year-old Campbell. “Things got tough, but my brother and my coach sat me down, talked to me, and gave me the support that I needed. I am grateful to them for helping me to stay on course.”

Campbell, the reigning national champion in the event, secured his bronze medal on Saturday with a throw of 22.15m in the final at Stade de France. Ryan Crouser won a historic third-straight Olympic title with 22.90m, with his American teammate Joe Kovacs snatching the silver with a throw of 22.15m.

Campbell said his performance at the championships will bring greater opportunities for him as he is now among the top shot put throwers in the world.

“I definitely think that it will open more doors for me. I think I will get into the meets that really count and that are more televised,” he said.

The burly thrower added: “It is just hunger because I definitely believe that I can be among the greats. Right now the threshold is 23 metres, and I do believe that I can get there,” he said.

Campbell, a finalist in the event at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, holds the national record mark of 22.22m.

He hopes that his latest achievement will raise the profile of the event in Jamaica and attract international attention to the sport in Jamaica.

“I understood the expectations from Budapest, but that one was just me not aiming high enough. This is a game-changer, and I definitely believe that this will get more people engaged in Jamaican throwing, and more people will be paying attention to us. Jamaica has athletes, because a lot of people think that we only have sprinters. We have good field events athletes,” he reasoned.