Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Gold Coast, April 17
As sprint legend Usain Bolt partied into the early hours and hung out with movie stars at the Commonwealth Games, it wasn’t so much fun for the Jamaica track team he left behind. At their first major competition since Bolt retired after a decade of dominance, the Jamaican juggernaut came unstuck at Gold Coast, failing to win a single sprinting gold medal.
Yohan Blake’s flop in the men’s 100 metres set the tone as Jamaica’s confidence was immediately dented by South African Akani Simbine. Blake, who picked up a world title in 2011 after Bolt false-started, could only finish third behind Simbine’s compatriot Henricho Bruintjies after a calamitous start.
To add insult to injury, double Olympics champion Elaine Thompson failed to win a medal in the women’s 200m as Shaunae Miller-Uibo romped to victory for the Bahamas. And with Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards capturing gold in the men’s 200m and countrywoman Michelle-Lee Ahye an upset winner of the women’s 100m, Jamaica’s Caribbean rivals enjoyed their days in the sun.
Jamaica’s Olympic chief insisted that there was no crisis, pointing to a new generation of sprinters coming through. “It was a perfectly creditable performance,” said Christopher Samuda. “Usain Bolt had a very big influence but we have a wealth of talent and the future for Jamaican sprinting is in very good hands.” But after the Jamaican men’s 4x100m relay team was crushed by England to take third spot behind South Africa in a puny title defence, Bolt took to social media to question whether he had retired too soon.
