'Olympic salute'- Kishane Thompson brags as he receives major honour & cash reward in Jamaica

Insets: Kishane Thompson Instagram

'Olympic salute'- Kishane Thompson brags as he receives major honour & cash reward in Jamaica

Abigael Wafula 06:45 - 18.11.2024

Kishane Thompson celebrated his silver medal at the Paris Olympics with recognition from the Jamaican Olympic Association, receiving a cash reward and praise at a Kingston ceremony alongside other decorated athletes.

Kishane Thompson is in awe after being recognised by the Jamaican Olympic Association for his exemplary performance at the Paris Olympic Games.

The Jamaican sprint king was among the medallists who were honoured for their resilience pursuit of glory in the French capital in a lavish ceremony at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston on Saturday night.

Competing in the men’s 100m at the Stade de France, Kishane Thompson managed a second-place finish, clocking an impressive 9.79 seconds to cross the finish line. The race was won by reigning world champion Noah Lyles, who clocked 9.79 seconds with another American, rounding up the podium in the hotly contested race.

Kishane Thompson expressed pride as he shared a series of photos on his Instagram handle and captioned the post: “Olympic salute.”

For his silver medal, Kishane Thompson was awarded a trophy and a cash reward of JMD$1.5 million (9414.26 USD). Others who were awarded include Gold medalist Roje Stona who walked away with JMD$3 million for his remarkable achievement.

Other silver medallists, Wayne Pinnock and Shanieka Ricketts also received JMD$1.5 million each. Bronze medalists Rajindra Campbell and Rasheed Broadbell received JMD$1 million. Youngster Jaydon Hibbert, the Olympic Spirit Award winner will receive JMD$500,000.

On top of that, the Jamaican Olympic Association also announced that $300 million had been set aside to help athletes as they gear up for the LA 2028 Olympic Games. According to Sports Max, it was also revealed that JMD$250 million will target key areas critical to athlete development.

The amount will be looking to offer scholarships for 12 athletes who will be looking to make the cut to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The money will amount to JMD$80 million over the quadrennial.

The financial support will cater for training, attending qualifying events, transportation, nutritional support, and access to advanced technology. The training equipment also has some funds set aside as JMD$50 million will be invested.

The new plan will also see coaching scholarships being granted and they will amount to $50 million.

JOA Secretary General Ryan Foster said: “Excellence is not time bound. It is timeless. So whenever and wherever the JOA observes it, we will applaud with respect and record for posterity while saluting our Olympic ambassadors, those inspired change-makers of a great sporting heritage of which the Olympic movement is the cornerstone.”

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