Melbourne 2006 the best ever

Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

Jamaica has participated in 14 stagings of the Commonwealth Games, which has been in existence since 1934.

Over this period, the country has won a total of 210 medals.

Athletics, with 180, accounts for the bulk of the medals, with boxing 14, and swimming six, rounding off the top three.

Cycling four, and netball, shooting and weightlifting two each, are the other sports to have brought glory to the country at the Games.

In terms of most productive Games for Jamaica, it would be in 2006 in Melbourne, Australia, when Jamaica, led by a number of its top track and field stars, collated 22 medals, inclusive of 10 gold, four silver and eight bronze.

Jamaica finished seventh overall out of 71 nations, when ranked by number of gold medals, and ninth in total medals.

All of Jamaica's medals came in the track and field competition.

The country swept the men's and women's sprints (100m and 200m) and also took home gold medals in the sprint relays.

The medallists included: Asafa Powell, Sherone Simpson, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Chris Williams, Sheri-Ann Brooks, Kenia Sinclair, Jermaine Gonzales, Maurice Wignall, Maurice Smith, Novlene Williams, Omar Brown, Delloreen Ennis-London, and Brigitte Foster-Hylton.

The second most productive Games was in 2002 in Manchester, England, when Jamaica pocketed 17 medals, inclusive of four gold, six silver and seven bronze.

The 1966 Games, which was hosted by Jamaica four year after its independence, was the country's third most productive, and only other double-digit recorded medal haul.

Back then, the country won four silver and eight bronze medals.

OVERALL MEDAL TALLY BY SPORT: Athletics - 180, Boxing - 14, Cycling - 4, Shooting - 2, Netball - 2, Swimming - 6, Weightlifting - 2.