Her idol Merlene Ottey may have been called 'The Bronze Queen', but Veronica Campbell-Brown would have to be considered 'The Golden Girl'.
Jamaica's flag bearer in the opening ceremony, Campbell-Brown is the defending 200 metres champion going into the Beijing games. She also anchored the 4x100 metre relay team that won gold at the Athens Olympics. Campbell-Brown also took the gold medal in the 100 metres at last year's World Championships in Osaka, Japan.
Married to sprinter Omar Brown, himself a gold medalist at the Commonwealth Games in 2006, this will be Campbell-Brown's third Olympic Games.
Kerron Stewart is living the dream of most professional athletes. She'll be in the midst of one of the most exciting sporting competitions in the world; the Olympics.
Although this is the second time the 24-year-old will be at the historic games, it's the first time she'll be given the opportunity to compete and, hopefully, win an individual medal; an opportunity she is more than ready to face up to.
Stewart has steadily proven herself as an athlete to be reckoned with. Placing second in the 200m Olympic trials in June to Veronica Campbell-Brown, she ran a career best of 21.99.
The 200-metre and 100-metre specialist is a St Jago past student and a St Catherine native. She went on to major in education at Auburn University in the United States.
With her step towards medalling at the Olympics, she is well on her way to making the children of Jamaica proud.
Melaine Walker
Walker
Melaine Walker has certainly chosen a good time to be on top of her game. She posted a world-leading and personal best time (53.48) in the women's 400 metres hurdles only a few days ago in Monaco and is now one of the favourites to medal in the event at the Beijing Olympic Games. That time made her the second fastest Jamaican (behind Deon Hemmings-McCatty) over the 400 metres hurdles distance, ever.
The former St Jago High track star and graduate of the University of Texas is 25 years old. She will be looking to give Jamaica its second gold medal in this event, following Deon Hemmings' sizzling performance at the Atlanta Games in 1996.
Alia Atkinson
Atkinson
At just 19 years old, Alia Atkinson is already competing in her second Olympics. Last month, she won two gold medals for Jamaica at the Caribbean Islands Swimming Championships at the National Stadium pool.
Starting her career at the age of three, Alia is often reminded of her first race when she stopped in the middle of the pool and began to cry. However, since then, there has been no stopping Alia. Competing for the local Tornadoes Swim Club, she first made the CARIFTA team at age 11.
Atkinson will be competing in the 200m breast stroke in Beijing.
Samantha Albert
Albert
Samantha Albert is making history as Jamaica's first Equestrian in the Olympics. She has been making impressive 'strides' for a while but wasn't given a chance in 1992 to qualify for the Barcelona Games as she was deemed too young and inexperienced. But now, there is no stopping this 37 year old who has matured into one of the world's leading Equestrian eventers.
She might not have the national support of a Bolt or Powell, but her determination to bag gold for her country is no less. So with her sights set on getting Jamaica its first medal in this event, Albert sets off to Beijing with her two horses who have qualified, Before I Do, who she rode in the Pan American Games last summer, and nine-year-old Blarney Banker.
Natasha Moodie
Moodie
Natasha Moodie is making a splash in this year's Olympics as she's off to Beijing, having broken her own record (26.61) in the 50 metres freestyle at the Toyota Grand Prix at the Ohio State University in April. With a blistering start, Moodie claimed success to a new Jamaica national senior record (26.8). The 17-year-old student at Michigan University in the United States will compete in the 50m freestyle in her first Olympics.
Bridgette Foster-Hylton
Foster-Hylton
Recovering from injuries which left her unable to compete in the 2007 IAAF World Championships is Osaka, Japan, Brigette Foster-Hylton may be on the brink of hurdling to gold.
The 33-year-old 100m hurdler achieved a season best time of 12.50 seconds, in the Olympic qualifiers in June.
Struggling with growing pains, in her previous trips to the Olympics in 2000 and 2004, she was unable to make a striking mark.
Locally, she has shown that she can make the leap from athletics to endorsements as the spokesperson for local Internet and cable service provider, Flow. It is now her time to prove that, with her skill, she can also eke out an Olympic medal.
