The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, Beijing

A few fun-loving fresh faces have suddenly turned Jamaica into the "World's Fastest Nation."

And that supposed U.S. track and field juggernaut? Well, things aren't quite going to plan. Right fist thrust overhead as she crossed the finish line all alone, silver braces shining in the Bird's Nest lights as she hopped in celebration like the 21-year-old she is, little-known Shelly-Ann Fraser won the women's 100 meters Sunday night in 10.78 seconds to help make these Olympics a sweeping success for the Caribbean island.

Fraser was followed across the line, steps later, by teammates Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart, who both finished in 10.98 and both collected silvers - giving Jamaica the first sweep of medals in a women's 100 by any nation at any Olympics or world championships.

That impressive display came one day after Usain Bolt's easy-as-could-be, hot-dogging, record-breaking victory in the men's 100 - giving Jamaica the first sweep of men's and women's 100 golds at any Olympics since 1988.

Back in his gold shoes Monday morning, Bolt advanced to the second round of the 200 by finishing second in his heat. He is trying to become the first man since Carl Lewis in 1984 to win gold medals in the 100 and 200 at the same Summer Games, so he surely was conserving energy.

So far, not a bad showing by a nation of 2.8 million, about the population of Chicago.

Not bad for a nation that long has produced top sprinters but never an Olympic dash champion, man or woman, before this wonderful 2-for-2 weekend.

"I was speechless yesterday for a while. Today I cried," Jamaica's minister of sport, Olivia Grange, said Sunday, after watching Fraser win. "Little Jamaica - our country is blessed with some of the best, if not the best, talent you can find."

Now compare and contrast. The single 100 bronze for the United States, earned by Walter Dix, amounts to the country's worst combined showing in the men's and women's dashes at an Olympics since earning zero medals in the 100 at both the 1980 Moscow Games - where, let's remember, a boycott prevented any Americans from competing - and the 1976 Montreal Games.