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As Jamaica prepares to celebrate 50 years of independence, special report
by Adrienne Arsenault airs Wednesday, June 20
The Olympic motto is Citius, Altius, Fortius—“swifter, higher, stronger”—and when the world’s best athletes gather in London, odds are that none may be swifter than those from Jamaica.
Since the Sydney Olympics in 2000, Jamaicans have won 15 gold medals in track races of 400 metres and under. Five of the seven all-time records for the men’s 100 metres are held by Jamaicans, including Usain Bolt’s 9.58 second dash—the fastest time in history.
What makes Jamaicans so fast? CBC News correspondent Adrienne Arsenault (@adriearsenault) travelled to the island nation to find the answers. In a special report on THE NATIONAL, CBC News Network, CBC Radio One and CBCNews.ca, Wednesday, June 20, Arsenault speaks with a variety of Jamaicans, including Usain Bolt’s parents and one of his former teachers, Olympic gold medalist Melaine Walker and current 100 metre world champion Yohan Blake, plus Jamaican national coach Stephen Francis. Arsenault finds that many believe it’s part cultural and part genetic, and entirely a national passion—even the Prime Minister attends the annual high school track and field championships.
THE NATIONAL airs on CBC-TV at 10 p.m. (10:30 NT), and also on CBC News Network at 9 and 11 p.m. (ET/PT). Plus, visit CBCNews.ca for exclusive web-only content related to this story, including interviews not featured in the broadcast piece.
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