Word: jamaican
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...What's the big secret in the Caribbean? "We have some of the best coaches in the world," says Bertland Cameron, a former Jamaican Olympic sprinter. "They're qualified at all levels, in all disciplines. You name it: 100m, 50m, hurdles, high jump. We take every event seriously." The country's sports minister, Olivia Grange, beamed after the races. "We're the sprint factory of the world," she says...
...That clean-cut image is a calling card for Bolt and an entire new generation of Jamaican sprinters who have taken the Beijing Olympics by storm. With Bolt shattering world records to claim gold in the men's 100 and 200 meters, and Jamaica making a clean sweep of the medals in the women's 100 meters, the Caribbean island is fast earning the title of the world's fastest country. That reputation is music to the ears of Jamaicans who, for years, have become more accustomed to hearing their country discussed for its sky-high murder rate...
...growing number of Jamaican citizens and officials, in fact, are counting on their world-conquering young sprinters - none of whom has failed a drug test, and who often speak out against the gunplay at home - to supplant self-styled "roughneck" singers as role models, and help reduce the country's horrific levels of violent crime. "These athletes can speak to the young people in our more troubled communities, especially since many of them come from those communities," says Jamaican sports writer Carole Beckford, author of Keeping Jamaica's Sport on Track. "We can't wait for them to come home...
Bolt's bad eating habits are somewhat surprising, given how strict his parents were. "He never got in trouble," says Herb Elliott, the Jamaican team doctor, who knew Bolt as a boy. Jennifer and Wellesley Bolt raised Usain on the north shore of Jamaica, and he turned down scholarship offers from several U.S. colleges for the comforts of home...
...Jamaica is ready to return the love. Though the country has a long history of sprinting success, no Jamaican man had ever won Olympic gold. After the race, Bolt took a call from the Jamaican prime minister. "The shops will be shut down, people will be partying in the streets," says Elliott. It's a seminal moment, mon. "This is the greatest sports accomplishment in Jamaica's history," says Paul McFarlane, a member of the healthy contingent of Jamaica fans who wore green, black, and gold in the Beijing stands. "We're just a tiny dot in the world...