Levaughn Flynn, Staff Reporter

Alphanso Cunningham (left) and Tanto Campbell. - File

Thanks to Jamaica's awe-inspiring performance at the Beijing Olympics in China last month, the nation's wheelchair athletes enter the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games with a dash of stardom and a bit of pressure to keep the gold medals coming.

Jamaica's Paralympic team of Alphanso Cunningham, Tanto Campbell, Vinette Green and Sylvia Grant arrived in Beijing last Saturday, inspired by Jamaica's historic 11 Olympic medals and determined to increase the bounty.

"We have gotten a warm reception in Beijing," said Dr Rory Dixon, head of delegation for the Paralympic team. "Anywhere we go, we are well received and the athletes are enjoying the attention and looking to continue the tradition set by the able-bodied athletes."

Not that the Paralympians aren't accustomed to winning medals. Cunningham is the defending champion in class F53 discus and Campbell won bronze in class F56 discus in Athens four years ago.

Grant, a veteran competing in her sixth Paralympics, won medals in Barcelona in 1992 and Atlanta in 1996.

While they may be replaying the images of Usain Bolt and Melaine Walker charging to the finish line as inspiration, all four athletes face a tougher prospect of medalling compared to the last Games. The International Paralympic Committee has merged several classes in order to make the events more competitive as some classes only had three competitors.

The 'F' in each athlete's class denotes 'field' since he or she is competing in a field event. The number indicates the athlete's level of disability. The lower the number, the more disabled the athlete is.

Coach Errol Williams was upbeat before leaving the island and said the team would return with medals, but didn't specify the quality.

Williams, his assistant Neville Sinclair and physiotherapist Celia Bennett complete Jamaica's contingent in Beijing.

Paralympic swimmers Octavius Morgan and Sarah Newland-Martin are two local pioneers who paved the path during the 1960s and 1970s for today's athletes in Beijing. Throughout their careers both have won numerous medals.

The Beijing Paralympics ends on September 17.

levaughn.flynn@gleanerjm.com