By Rey O’Neal

The first Olympic athlete from the Caribbean to win an Olympic medal while representing his own country was the Haitian long jumper, Silvio Cator, who won a silver at the 1928 Games.

However the British sprinter, Harry Edward, who was born in British Guiana – now Guyana – had mounted the victory stand twice in 1920, winning bronze medals in both the 100 and 200 metre dashes. He would be followed eight years later by another Guyanese sprinter, Jack London, who won a silver medal in the 100 metres and a bronze in the 4×100 metre relay for Great Britain.

The list of athletes from the Caribbean who have won Olympic medals while representing other countries includes:

Athletics

100m (Men)
Harry Edward (GBR/GUY) -Bronze 1920
Jack London (GBR/GUY) – Silver 1928
McDonald Bailey (GBR/TRI) – Bronze 1952
Ben Johnson (CAN/’JAM) –  Bronze 1984
Linford Christie (GBR/JAM) – Silver 1988*
Linford Christie (GBR/JAM) – Gold 1992
Donovan Bailey (CAN/JAM) – Gold 1996

*Ben Johnson won the event in  1988.Later disqualified for doping violation. Christie was upgraded from bronze to silver medal status.

200m (Men)
Harry Edward (GBR/GUY) – Bronze 1920

800m (Men)
Phil Edwards (CAN/GUY) – Bronze 1932
Phil Edwards (CAN/GUY) – Bronze 1936

1500m (Men)
Phil Edwards(CAN/GUY)- Bronze 1932

110m Hurdles (Men)
Mark McKoy (CAN/GUY) – Gold 1992
Orlando Ortega (ESP/CUB) – Silver 201
Dimitri Bascou (FRA/MRT)- Bronze 2016

400m Hurdles (Men)
Kerron Clement (USA/TTO) – Gold 2016
Yasmani Copello (TUR/CUB) – Bronze 2016

High Jump (Men)
Germaine Mason (GBR/JAM) – Silver 2008

Triple Jump (Men)
Keith Connor (GBR/AIA) – Bronze 1984

4x100m Relay (Men)
Jack London (GBR/ GUY) – Bronze 1928
Roger Bambuck (FRA/GDL) – Bronze 1968
Hermann Panzo (FRA/MRT) – Bronze 1980
Ben Johnson (CAN/JAM) – Bronze 1984
Tony Sharpe (CAN/JAM) – Bronze 1984
Desai Williams (CAN/SKN) – Bronze 1984
Max Moriniere (FRA/MRT) – Bronze 1988
Robert Esmie (CAN/JAM) – Gold 1996
Glenroy Gilbert (CAN/TRI) – Gold 1996
Bruny Surin (CAN/HAI) – Gold  1996

4x400m Relay (Men)
Phil Edwards (CAN/GUY) – Bronze 1932
Roger Velasquez (FRA/GDL) – Bronze 1972

200m (Women)
Marie-Jose Perec (FRA/GDL) – Gold 1996

400m (Women)
Marie-Jose Perec (FRA/GDL) – Gold 1992
Marie-Jose Perec (FRA/GDL) – Gold 1996
Sanya Richards (USA/JAM) – Bronze 2008
Sanya Richards (USA/JAM) – Gold 2012

100m Hurdles (Women)
Patricia Girard (FRA/GDL) – Bronze 1996

400m Hurdles (Women)
Sandra Farmer-Patrick (USA/JAM) – Silver 1992

Javelin Throw (Women)
Tessa Sanderson (GBR/JAM) – Gold 1984

4x100m Relay (Women)
Beverly Goddard (GBR/BAR) – Bronze 1980
Marita Payne (CAN/BAR) – Silver 1984
Angella Taylor (CAN/JAM) – Silver 1984
Beverly (Goddard) Callender (GBR/BAR) – Bronze  1984
Christine Arron (FRA/GDL) – Bronze 2000 +
Sandra Citte (FRA/GDL) – Bronze 2000 (ran heats but not final and upgraded from fourth place after disqualification of the third-place USA team retroactively owing to a doping infraction).
Christine Arron(FRA/GDL) –Bronze  2004

4x400m Relay (Women)
Joslyn Hoyte-Smith (GBR/BAR) – Bronze 1980
Charmaine Crooks (CAN/JAM) – Silver 1984
Jillian Richardson (CAN/TRI) – Silver 1984
Molly Killingbeck (CAN/JAM) – Silver 1984
Marita Payne (CAN/BAR) – Silver 1984
Sanya Richards (USA/JAM) – Gold 2004
Sanya Richards (USA/JAM) – Gold 2008
Sanya Richards (USA/JAM) – Gold 2012

Boxing Medalists
Jose “Chegui” Torres (USA/PUR) – Junior Middleweight – Silver 1956

Basketball (Men)
Patrick Ewing (USA/JAM) – Gold 1984
Patrick Ewing (USA/JAM) – Gold 1992

Fencing (Men)
Fabrice Jeannet (FRA/MRT) – Individual Epee – Silver 2008
Fabrice Jeannet (FRA/MRT) – Team Epee – Gold 2004
Jerome Jeannet (FRA/MRT) – Team Epee – Gold 2004
Fabrice Jeannet (FRA/MRT) – Team Epee – Gold 2008
Jerome Jeannet (FRA/MRT) – Team Epee – Gold 2008
Jean-Michel Lucenay (FRA/MRT) – Team Epee – Gold 2008
Ulrich Robeiri (FRA/GNE) – Team Epee – Gold 2008
Jean-Michel Lucenay (FRA/MRT) – Team Epee – Gold 2016
Daniel Jerent (FRA/GDL) – Team Epee – Gold 2016
Yannick Borel (FRA/ GDL) – Team Epee – Gold 2016

Fencing (Women)
Laura Flessel (FRA/GDL) – Individual Epee – Gold 1996
Laura Flessel (FRA/GDL) – Individual Epee – Bronze 2000
Laura Flessel-Colovic (FRA/GDL) – Individual Epee – Silver 2004
Maureen Nisima (FRA/MRT) – Individual Epee – Bronze 2004
Laura Flessel (FRA/GDL) – Team Epee – Gold 1996
Sarah Daninthe (FRA/GDL) – Team Epee – Bronze 2004
Laura Flessel-Colovic (FRA/GDL) – Team Epee – Bronze 2004
Maureen Nisima (FRA/MRT) – Team Epee – Bronze 2004

*Laura Flessel has won more Olympic medals than any other fencer in history.

Judo (Men)
Teddy Riner (FRA/GDL) – 100 kg Class – Bronze 2008
Teddy Riner (FRA/GDL) -100 kg Class – Gold 2012
Teddy Riner (FRA/GDL) – 100kg Class – Gold  2016

Swimming (Women)
Enith Brigitha (NED/AHO) – 200m Freestyle – Bronze 1976
Enith Brigitha (NED/AHO) – 100m Freestyle – Bronze 1976
Malia Metella (FRA/GNE) – 50m Freestyle – Silver 2004

Tennis (Women)
Gigi Fernandez (USA/PUR) – Women’s Doubles – 1992
Gigi Fernandez(USA/PUR) – Women’s Doubles-1996

Weightlifting (Men)
Louis Martin (GBR/JAM) – Middle Heavyweight – Bronze 1960
Louis Martin (GBR/JAM) – Middle Heavyweight – Silver 2004

Notes:
Guadeloupe: GDL
Martinique: MRT
French Guiana (Cayenne): GNE
Anguilla: AIA
Netherlands Antilles: AHO
Puerto Rico: PUR

Jesse Vassallo (USA/PUR) finished 4th in the 200m Individual Medley in swimming at the 1984 Games but subsequently set world records in that event and in the 400 metre Individual Medley.

Coralie Balmy (FRA/MRT) finished  fourth  in the 400m Freestyle swimming event at the 2008 Games. She later set a world record in the 200m Freestyle.