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Jamaican shot putter Rajindra Campbell has called for more recognition after making Olympic history with a bronze medal in Paris.
Often in many countries when an athlete makes history at the Olympic Games the achievement is met with widespread recognition, national pride and celebratory events.
Unfortunately, for Jamaican shot putter Rajindra Campbell this has not been his experience, despite making history at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Campbell became the first Jamaican man to ever medal in a throwing event at the Olympics when he secured a bronze medal with a throw of 22.15m on August 3, 2024.
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However, more than two months after his historic performance, Campbell says there has been little acknowledgment from his homeland.
"We have talked about it. The only problem is, as what Omar McLeod mentioned at trials about the 2016 Olympics, we don’t feel the appreciation from Jamaica," Campbell said, referencing comments by McLeod, who won gold in the 110m hurdles at the 2016 Rio Olympics but expressed similar feelings of being underappreciated as per SportsMax.
Campbell's achievement was soon followed by another groundbreaking moment for Jamaica when Roje Stona won gold in the discus with a personal best throw of 70.00m, making him the country’s first-ever Olympic champion in a throwing event.
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Yet, despite the significance of these achievements, Campbell says both he and Stona have yet to receive any form of official recognition or celebration in Jamaica.
“You see the kind of celebration Julien Alfred got? I’m not expecting the same here, but Jamaica has such a rich history in track and field, I don’t think the athletes are really appreciated for what they do,” Campbell added.
Campbell, a 28-year-old national record holder, was born in Ocho Rios but moved to Joplin, Missouri, in 2018 to attend Missouri Southern State University.
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While Jamaica has been silent,Campbell noted that the reception in Missouri has been much different.
“I met with the school President on Wednesday of last week, and he explained certain things they have in store for me, and there is a big sign on campus that people come in and see. It’s a different celebration taking place here compared to Jamaica,” he said.
Campbell believes that part of the issue stems from the high expectations placed on Jamaican athletes.
According to him, once a Jamaican enters an event, it is assumed they will do well, without enough understanding of the effort it takes to reach that level of success.
“The love for Jamaica will never die. We will always continue to represent, but, at the same time, the amount of sacrifice it takes to get to the level we are, something that I’ve found is once there is a Jamaican in an event, you’re expected to do well. How do we get there?" Campbell questioned.
“When you actually get there it’s like, ‘Oh! I expected it or I knew you could do it.’ At the same time, there’s a journey that nobody really understands,” he added, speaking to the lack of awareness about the struggles and dedication athletes face.
Campbell went on to reveal that neither he nor Stona have been contacted about any potential celebration or acknowledgment for their historic accomplishments, despite their monumental contributions to Jamaican sports.
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