PARIS, France — Despite Jamaica’s comparatively small medal haul at the 2024 Olympic Games, the delegation’s Chef de Mission Ian Kelly highlighted several positive takeaways from the global showpiece.

Jamaica won six medals (one gold, three silver, and two bronze) in Paris, a decrease from the nine medals secured at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, in 2021.

Kelly said that the number of medals won is not the sole measurement of success. He noted that the country’s athletes performed well, not only in track and field but also in swimming, diving, and judo.

“There were a lot of positives as we competed in other disciplines where the two swimmers [Sabrina Lyn and Josh Kirlew] did their best. We saw [diver] Yona Knight-Wisdom advance to the final round of his competition and place 13th, and our judo athlete [Ashley McKenzie] reached the round of 16,” Kelly said.

“As the chef de mission, I am very proud of my team. We had one hot day, and within 48 hours we installed different cooling methods for our athletes, bringing in 20 fans and 20 mobile air-conditioning units.”

He said athletes had the backing of the management teams.

“We also brought in Jamaican food into the village at different intervals, and I believe we were able to support our athletes during both the high and low moments. It’s something I am extremely proud of,” Kelly added.

He said that injuries to several of Jamaica’s star athletes significantly impacted Jamaica’s chances at the Olympic Games.

“It has been an Olympics.And yes, we are disappointed that we didn’t achieve the medals we anticipated; however, there were many factors that contributed to this. We had injuries to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson. We saw young Jaydon Hibbert get injured after jumping 17.66 metres.”

Kelly continued: “We witnessed misfortune in the 400m hurdles semi-finals with Malik James-King and in the final with Roshawn Clarke, where everyone expected a medal. We also saw setbacks in the women’s 100m hurdles with Ackera Nugent and in the [women’s] 4x400m relay final when the baton fell. It was just one of those unfortunate Olympics for us, and the reasons are evident.”

Jamaica’s Roje Stona competes in the men’s discus throw final during the Olympic Games at Stade de France in Saint-Denis on August 7, 2024. (Photo: AFP)

Tia Clayton (right) of Jamaica and Twanisha Terry of United States compete in the women’s 100m semi-finals during the Olympic Games at Stade de France in Saint-Denis on Saturday, August 3, 2024. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Jaydon Hibbert of Jamaica competes in the men’s triple jump final during the Olympic Games at Stade de France in Saint-Denis on August 9, 2024. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)