The Jamaica Olympic Assoication is the official National Olympic Committee (NOC) for the island of Jamaica.
Olympic Games
Jamaica first participated at the Olympic Games in 1948, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then.
Olympic Honours
Jamaican athletes have won a total of 53 medals, with all but one medal won in athletics, and the large majority of these in the individual and relay sprint events.
History of Jamaica
Jamaica, one of the largest Caribbean islands, was inhabited by Arawak natives prior to the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1494. The Arawaks lived in simple communities based on fishing, hunting and small scale cultivation of cassava. The impact of the contact with the Spanish was traumatic, and these communities disappeared in 70-80 years.
When Christopher Columbus arrived at the island, he claimed the land for Spain. Still, it was not truly colonized until after his death in 1506. Spain held the island against many pirate raids at the main city, which is now called Spanish Town. Eventually England claimed the island in a raid in 1655, but the Spanish did not relinquish their claim to the island until 1670.
Jamaicans are internationally renowned for their prowess in fields such as athletics ( the names Donald Quarrie, Herb McKenley and Merlene Ottey should come readily to mind) and music.