Land of Usain Bolt shines in field events, Jamaica bags Olympic discus gold

Don't look now, but Jamaica, that Caribbean island known for producing elite sprinters such as Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, is now a field-event power.

Roje Stona's gold in the discus throw Wednesday gave Jamaica its fourth medal in the field events at the 2024 Olympics after winning just two in history. Meanwhile, the country's sprinters have only one medal so far in Paris.

For a country of 3 million people, that's extremely impressive, said three-time Olympic shot put champion Ryan Crouser, an American who had a front-row seat for Stona's performance as his coach/training partner.

Stona set an Olympic record with his throw of 70 meters (229 feet, 8 inches). That follows silvers for Wayne Pinnock in the men's long jump and Shanieka Ricketts in the women's triple jump, and a bronze for Rajindra Campbell in the men's shot put.

We should put more support into the field events. Discus, shotput I mean, everything, said Stona, the first discus thrower from his country to wi