THE Jamaican government is planning a special event to celebrate the success of its athletes at the Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil, next month.The event will be held during the National Heroes Weekend, October 15-17, said Minister of Sport Olivia Grange at a special ceremony hosted by Digicel at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston to welcome home six of the athletes on Tuesday night.
The minister said further details would be made available in the coming days.
Jamaica won six gold, three silver and two bronze medals at the Games mirroring the success it achieved in Beijing in 2008. The haul saw Jamaica finish third in track and field in terms of medals won and third in terms of placings.
Jamaica had more than 20 athletes in finals in Rio.
Among the athletes, who returned home Tuesday evening following successful campaigns at the Games and on the Diamond League circuit, were double Olympic gold medallist and Diamond League 100-metre champion Elaine Thompson; Olympic 400-metre bronze medallist and mile-relay silver medallist Shericka Jackson; Olympic mile-relay silver-medallist and Diamond League champion Stephenie-Ann McPherson; Olympic sprint-relay silver medallist Christania Williams, Julian Forte, and Megan Simmonds.
The athletes are all members of the MVP Track Club, headed by Stephen Francis, who also arrived home with the contingent.
President of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) praised the athletes and their coach. He thanked coach Francis for the hard work he has put in over the years and expressed his gratitude on behalf of the JAAA with whom the coach has had a few run-ins over the years.
He noted that the athletes present, by virtue of the number of medals they won between them, would have finished seventh on the medal table in Rio.
Francis was also praised by Minister Grange, who implored him to accept a national honour, the likes of which has already been bestowed upon Glen Mills, who coaches nine-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt. Francis has on several occasions before declined offers to accept a national honour for his outstanding work as one of the best coaches in the world.
The minister also said the government was committed to putting in world class facilities befitting of a country that produces so many world class athletes.
She explained that similar ceremonies were not held for other athletes who have already returned home because some preferred to slip in quietly while the Government was not aware when others had arrived.
She explained that MVP track club was gracious enough to reach out to her ministry to let them know when their athletes would be arriving.