Olive McNaughton to lead sports fan movement eyeing ‘Triumph in Tokyo’

WESTERN BUREAU:

More than 200 Jamaicans draped in the black, green and gold will converge on Tokyo Stadium this weekend for the 2025 World Athletics Championships, a show of unity being championed through Jamaica Sports 876’s new Triumph in Tokyo initiative.

During the launch of the initiative, held at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston, not only was the official “fan movement” unveiled, but also a scholarship programme aimed at supporting student athletes. Conceptualiser Olive McNaughton said the moment marked her two decade-long journey of cheering and organising support for Jamaica’s track and field stars, coming “full circle”.

Her story began in 2007 when she followed a teenage Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce to her first World Championships in Osaka. By the following year, McNaughton was in Beijing’s Bird’s Nest Stadium, witnessing Jamaica’s golden sweep.

“When Shelly and Melaine won gold, the response to Team Jamaica was absolutely tremendous,” she recalled. “I said, next time, we must be seated together, presenting Brand Jamaica in the stands. From then, I made it my mission to organise and ensure Jamaicans had that presence at the finish line.”

That mission has taken her from Berlin, Germany in 2009, where Usain Bolt clocked a still-standing 9.58 world record, to Moscow, Russia; Doha, Qatar; and Oregon in the United States. Along the way, McNaughton became part of moments that are now etched in Jamaica’s sporting history – none more so than in Doha 2019, when she carried Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s young son Zion through the media section and handed him to his mother just minutes after her 100m gold medal run.

“Some of the greatest pictures of Shelly and Zion came out of that night,” McNaughton said.

Now, she is channelling those years of passion into structure.

“Today, I’d like to officially say that all my family and friends going to Tokyo will become the first official members of the Jamaica Sports Vibes group,” she announced. Membership will include discounts, ticket priority, and access to organised tours.

“This is about ensuring Jamaica continues to shine, not just on the track, but in the stands.”

MESSAGE TO FIRST-TIMERS

That spirit resonated with Stephanie Muir, a long-time fan who has travelled to multiple World Championships with the group. Her message to first-timers heading to Tokyo was clear: bring energy, pride, and preparation.

“Make sure you carry a hat, carry your Fifi, and when you stand to sing the National Anthem, sing it with all you know,” she urged.

Muir painted a colourful picture of what it means to be a Jamaican fan abroad. From shopping downtown for suitcases of hats, flowers, and snacks, to once losing her bun and cheese in the crowd – she joked that businessman Michael Lee-Chin was the culprit – the joy of the journey has always matched the glory on the track.

“For me, the games are more than just about watching athletes,” she explained. “It’s about meeting friends I haven’t seen since the last championships, riding the buses together, and feeling the joy of representing Jamaica. People look at us and see us as mothers, sisters, even grandmothers of the athletes, and that’s a powerful thing. I have had the best times of my life on these trips.”

The endorsement of the evening came from Vilma Charlton, representing the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA). She congratulated McNaughton, noting the important role she and Jamaica Sports 876 play in bolstering the athletes with fan support.

She highlighted McNaughton’s recent suggestion that Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce be given a farewell ceremony after her final race at this year’s National Championships – an idea the JAAA adopted despite only having a single day to plan.

“The Association embraced it joyfully,” Charlton said, calling it another example of McNaughton’s foresight.

Charlton also reflected on McNaughton’s personal history, from excelling in high-school sports to becoming a certified World Athletics technical official.

“I have personally witnessed Olive making upfront deposits for events and helping young people in hardship situations,” she said. “She is resourceful, dedicated, and committed.”

The evening closed with applause and the promise that Triumph in Tokyo will carry forward a legacy, not only of Jamaicans winning on the track but of creating unmatched energy in the stands through a movement that now comes with scholarships to support the next generation of athletes.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com