“Jamaica is joining other countries which reward those who represent them at the Olympics with honorariums,” Minister Grange said while speaking at the official launch of the 2022 ISSA GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships at the National Stadium on Monday.
“Appreciation Grants will be for those representing Jamaica at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the Paralympics, and the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. The level of awards was determined based on individual placement, from gold medal winner to non-finalist, coaches, and other supporting staff. Ninety-three persons will be rewarded, valued at approximately $55M,” she added.
She then broke down how the money would be divided.
“The honorariums are $1.65 million for each gold medal won; $1.35 million for each silver medal won and $800,000.00 for each bronze medal won. The honorarium is $850,000 for the relay gold. Finalists are receiving $600,000.00; relay finalists, $500,000; and non-finalists, $350,000. Coaches and massage therapists are getting $350,000 while team managers and doctors are getting $200,000,” Grange explained.
In the 20 years since then she has won three gold medals including consecutive 200m titles at the 2004 Games in Athens and then in Beijing in 2008 as well as a sprint relay gold won in Athens.
Three silver medals and two bronze medals put her Olympic medal count at eight, making her one of the world’s most successful female sprinters in Olympic history.
However, for the 37-year-old sprint queen, qualifying for a sixth Olympics would be a nice way to bow out of what has been an illustrious career.
"It would be like icing on the cake if I'm able to run in my sixth Olympic Games because I feel like I don't have anything else to prove," said Campbell-Brown, who has also won 11 medals at the World Championships.
"But at this stage in my life and my career, running in the Olympic Games one more time would be extra special."
However, there are many obstacles in her way including Jamaica’s premier female sprinters Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson as well as a crop of promising youngsters like Briana Williams, Natalliah Whyte, Jonielle Smith, and Natasha Morrison.
Fraser-Pryce, Williams, Smith and Whyte combined to win the 4x100m at the 2019 World Championships in Doha.
The biggest obstacle to VCB’s Olympic hopes is the Coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic that could see the 2020 Olympics being postponed or cancelled.
“Above any economic or commercial concerns must be the well-being and welfare of our athletes and that has to be the governing consideration,” Mr Samuda said while speaking on Sportsnation Live on Nationwide Radio in Jamaica on Saturday.
“I cannot afford to take a reckless decision fully well knowing that the situation is not controlled and placing our athletes at risk.”
For the past two years, the JOA has been on a pathway to qualify athletes from 10 different sports for the Olympic Games set to run from July 24-August 8. However, with the advent of the Coronavirus Covid19, there is much uncertainty about whether the IOC would stage the Games this summer, postpone them or cancel them altogether.
However, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is insistent that the Games will go ahead despite reports that the number of persons infected with the virus in that country has been rising.
“We will overcome the spread of the infection and host the Olympics without problem, as planned,” Prime Minister Abe said during a news conference on Saturday.
Mr Samuda believes that Prime Minister Abe would not have made those comments if he did not possess information that empowered him to make that daring declaration and said the JOA would take a wait-and-see approach.
The JOA would be in a better position by April, he said, to determine for itself whether it was safe to have Jamaica’s athletes travel to Japan this summer.
However, should it become clear that the country’s athletes would be at risk of being exposed to the deadly virus then the JOA would have no other option than to act in their best interest.
“And therefore, if we do not get the opinions of the experts that it (the virus outbreak) is being managed and that the risk has been minimized, we must take a decision in the interest of our athletes and then say we will not be participating.”
Jamaica has several athletes who will be gunning for medals and a piece of Olympic history in Tokyo.
Elaine Thompson-Herah will be hoping to defend the 100 and 200m titles she won in Rio in 2016 when she became the first woman to achieve the feat since Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988.
Her MVP teammate Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is also aiming for a piece of history as if she wins the 100m, she would become the first woman in history to win three Olympic 100m titles. Fraser-Pryce is the early favourite for the 100m gold medal after winning an unprecedented fourth 100m title at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar in September 2019.
Omar McLeod would also be hoping to defend his title in the 110m hurdles.
“Welcome the five-time Olympic champion and the fastest woman alive Elaine Thompson-Herah to our team. It is our pleasure to represent @fastelaine on her continuously evolving journey.”
The triple gold medalist from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Japan this past summer has made a series of changes since her heroic exploits in Tokyo in August when she set a new Olympic record of 10.61 in the 100m, a national record of 21.53 in the 200m, the second-fastest time in history and was a member of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team that set a new national record of 41.02 to win gold.
Less than a fortnight later, she lowered her personal best of 10.61 to 10.54 in Eugene, Oregon and then reeled off times of 10.64 in Paris and 10.65 to win the Diamond League 100m title in Zurich on September 9.
On returning from the circuit, she parted ways with MVP Track Club and head coach Stephen Francis and her previous agent, Laidlaw as she prepared herself for a fresh start for the next four-year cycle of her career.
Andisportsmanagement is run by Jamaican Olympian Marvin Anderson. The agency also represents Andre Ewers, Natasha Morrison, Jaheel Hyde and Christine Day among others.
