Uncool runnings: Jamaica’s powerhouse sprint team fizzles at Olympics

The island nation has long punched above its weight at the Games. But in Paris it has been the country's field athletes who have been winning medals

Jamaica has been on such a cold streak in Paris, that it's fair to wonder whether the country is planning for the Winter Olympics. In place of its usual dominance in sprinting, it's been one disappointment after another.

The misfortune kicked off in June with Elaine Thompson-Herah, the fastest woman alive, injuring her achilles and losing out on a chance to challenge for golds in the 100m and 200m for the third straight Olympics. Then, during the Games themselves, Shericka Jackson, Thompson-Herah's heir apparent, withdrew from the 100m and 200m with an undisclosed injury, a shock development that drastically changed the complexion of both races. My 2024 Olympic dream has been shattered," the three-time medalist wrote in a silence-breaking Instagram post on Friday.