| The purpose of the study is to examine performances of Jamaican male and female elite athletes from 1980--2005, during which period 7 Olympic Games and 10 World Championships were held.;The characteristics of an elite athlete and elite performances were also examined with a view to understand the positioning of the Jamaican athlete from a global perspective. A historical perspective of Jamaica's role in Athletics the achievement level of the Jamaican female athlete was pivotal to this review.;Jamaican female athletes took advantage of the birthing of the new era in track and field for women and established themselves on the international scene. Eight events of the Olympic Games and World Championship from 1980--2005, were chosen to compare performances of the athletes.;There appears to be a marked difference in performance between the female and male Jamaican elite athletes. During the study period, the female consistently gained more medals per event than the males in all but 3 events.;Although performance was defined as medals gained, the recognition of supporting elements, such as time, also contributes to performance. The best Jamaican times in signature events for which they acquired medals within that period, were also identified to compare with world best times. |
