IT was the 50th anniversary of Jamaican independence yesterday, and Usain Bolt's Olympic 100 metres victory stirred up the celebrations in Kingston to fever pitch.
Drummers in the national stadium pounded the rhythm as spectators chanted: "Jamaica! Jamaica!"
Wind and drizzle failed to douse their fervour. Fans banged pot lids, blew vuvuzelas, and mimicked Bolt's two-fingered rabbit-ears antic. With world champion Yohan Blake beating Justin Gatlin, the US 2004 Olympic champion, it was the first gold-silver double since Carl Lewis and Sam Graddy, of the United States achieved the feat in 1984. It also cemented Jamaica (a country with a population half that of Scotland) as sprint capital of the world.
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