Forget Paris, LA beckons

The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, was promoted to be like none other, especially with the opening ceremony centred about and on the River Seine, an ambitious display of French architecture, history, and culture. And the world waited to see what it would be.

Yes, the opening ceremony was very different, certainly memorable, but was it the best? The jury is still out, for there were some weird moments. And it rained on Paris’ parade.

One week after, it was time for athletics, the blue-ribbon sport of the Olympics, no doubt; one in which track and field powerhouse Jamaica was supposed to be adorned with numerous gold, silver, and bronze medals. But if the opening ceremony was the weirdest in the history of the Olympiad, Jamaica’s performance at Paris 2024 was the most mind-boggling. Qu’est-ce qui est arrivé? (What happened?)

But go back before the opening ceremony. Two-time sprint double champion Elaine Thompson Herah was a no-show at the national trials. Sprint legend Shelly-Ann Fraser- Pryce came third. Antonio Watson, the unsung 2023 400m World champion fizzled. Before that, the men’s 4x400m team failed to qualify for Paris. Final efforts at the trials failed to put them on the flight. Were Jamaica’s performances in Paris being foreshadowed?

Shericka Jackson, two-time Worlds 200m champ and 2023 100m Worlds silver medallist was on the flight, but on July 31 it was announced that the injured star would not hit the track. Five of the possible medals were no longer possible, but Shelly-Ann’s, in her fifth Olympics, was a possibility. And they were still possible up to the moment when she turned up for the semi-finals. She was told to find another path to the track. She did not. Heartbreak. What an inglorious end to such a glorious Olympic story.

All eyes were now firmly fixed on Tia Clayton, who blazed away in her semi-finals to become Jamaica’s lone rep in the final. All was not lost. There could not be such a final without a Jamaican, and she, the twin sister of Tina, was making her 100m Olympic maiden final. Crowder, Westmoreland, and the rest of the world stood still.

When the race was over, Clayton’s fifth place was overshadowed by the loss of Sha’Carri Richardson to Julien Alfred, and the entire Caribbean erupted. Nobody here wanted Richardson to win. Even the Gros Piton and the Petit Piton in Alfred’s native St Lucia shook.

The male equivalent of the 100m was even more eagerly anticipated. Not since 2016 when Usain bolted into the pages of Olympic history with another golden run had there been such excitement. Kishane Thompson sent the collective pulse of the nation into overdrive. Yet there was a big factor – the man social media insisted had heard pillow talk.

It was a result no one could possibly imagine. Thompson did not disappoint, but the man who pranced on to the track nipped him by 0.005 seconds. More heartbreak for Jamaica, more antics from Noah Lyles. Thompson was robbed, people were claiming. But was he?

As for Oblique Seville, the forever promise is now reminiscent of another Jamaican legend who faded at the big games. Oblique is too meek, people are saying. He needs the killer instinct of the ‘Lightning Bolt’ and ‘The Beast’.

The debate as to who really won the 100m is still raging, likewise about whether Noah lied about being afflicted by COVID-19 while he ran the 200m. Like at the beginning at the 100m, he roared and jumped up and down on the track. Him head tek him again. He was about to get his second Olympic gold. Or so he thought. He wanted four gold medals. It went down to three when he wasn’t regarded for the 4x400m.

As he huffed and puffed after countryman Kenny Bednarek and the Botswana star Letsile Tebogo took him down, he knew his gold had turned into bronze. Now, he was on his back hyperventilating until help came. And in a wheelchair, he went out of competition at Paris 2024 with a whimper. Four gold medals had turned into a gold and a bronze. Paris is really a magical place. N’est-ce pas? (Is it not?)

The 200 metres were no kinder to us. Jackson pulled out of this one, also, leaving it wide open to Gabby Thomas. Niesha Burgher in semi-final two and Lanae-Tava Thomas in semi-final three both grabbed the fifth spot, taking Jamaica out of the 200m final for the first time since 1976. In the men’s event, Bryan Levell was eighth in semi-final one, and that was it.

The toughest race in track and field, the 400m, too, did not embrace the Jamaicans. Jevaughn Powell barely missed the final from semi-final three. Three of our women made it to the semis. One came dead last, and the tongues of her haters went wagging on social media. Vindication for letting out our ‘secrets’ to the ‘enemy’, they were saying. What ‘secrets’? Nickisha Pryce was the 400m hope of the nation, but hope morphed into despair in the semi-final.

Hansle Parchment, looking lethargic from his very first race, had Jamaicans cringing when they saw the 2020 110m hurdles hero from Tokyo, Japan, at the very back of the pack. He had relinquished his gold medal to Grant Holloway, who would have died had he not won. Rasheed Broadbell, who crashed out of Worlds last year, was outdipped but saved the day with the bronze.

Two-time World champion Danielle Williams clipped a hurdle in the 100m semi-final, leaving Ackera Nugent as the only rep for Jamaica in the final. And she did not finish. Nor did Roshawn Clarke in the 400m hurdles. Nor did the female 4x400m relay team in the final race of the penultimate day of competition.

Stacey-Ann Williams, who was outrun by the Dutch phenom Framke Bol at Worlds last year, was right up there with the first exchange. She passed the baton to Andrenette Knight, who used it to beat the abs of the Irish runner until it fell. The Parisian nightmare was complete. Et ce n’etait pas joli (And it wasn’t pretty.) Nor was the meltdown of shot putter Danniel Thomas-Dodd on camera.

A promotional jingle on local media asks, “ Comment allez-vous? Comment allez-vous?”, the French for ‘How are you?’ Well, the answer is, Nous ne sommes pas contents (We are not happy.) It also says, “Jamaica mash up Paris.” Not exactly so.

Except for Roje Stona, the surprise of the entire Games; Broadbell; Thompson; Wayne Pinnock (long jump silver); Shanieka Ricketts (triple jump silver); and Rajindra Campbell (shot put bronze), Paris was memorable for the wrong reasons. So let’s forget Paris – Au revoir (Goodbye), and look forward to ’28 in LA, where the stars usually shine brighter. But beware, scandals thrive there too. Bienvenue (Welcome) to the City of Angels!