These stamps feature:
• The women's 2004 Olympic 4 x 100 m relay team
• Veronica Campbell
• Asafa Powell

The stamps will be released at a launch ceremony on April 25, 2008, at the Jamaica Olympic Association headquarters, starting at 9 am. The main speakers will be the Hon Laurence Broderick, MP, Minister of State, Ministry of Energy, Mining & Telecommunications, and the Hon Olivia Grange, MP, Minister, Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth & Sports. Donald Anderson, 1st Vice President, Jamaica Olympic Association will present an overview of the project.

Highlights of the event are the unveiling of the 2008 Beijing Olympics Postage Stamps, presentations of commemorative items to athletes and organisations, and naturally, the sale of stamps and philatelic souvenirs immediately following the ceremony.

This set of stamps was done with a “dash of flair” according to Deputy Postmaster General (Administration), Mrs Glennamoe McNabb. She stated: “The Jamaican Stamp Advisory Committee wanted to introduce an element that would make this series unique, and so a ‘se-tenant’ pair format was chosen as part of the design. McNabb explains that a ‘se-tenant’ is a philatelic term referring to the fact that stamps are joined: in this case, a set of two stamps (paired) form the se-tenant. The se-tenant consists of the runners in the Women’s 4 x 100m final, and both stamps are of the same value.

The denominations presented are: $20.00, $30.00 (the se-tenant pair), and $60.00. First Day Covers will be sold for $400.00. The cachet for the First Day Cover consists of the symbol of the traditional Greek laurel wreath, with the words ‘First Day of Issue: 25 April 2008, Kingston Jamaica’. (The ‘cachet’ is the ‘date-stamp’ mark placed on the First Day Cover and across the postage stamps to indicate when they were first made available to the public.)

Featured persons were decided on the basis of on their tremendous exploits. The se-tenant stamp shows Jamaica’s ‘Golden Girls’ - the Women’s 4 x 100m relay team that competed in the 2004 Athens Olympics final of that event. They are Tayna Lawrence, Veronica Campbell, Aleen Bailey and Sherone Simpson. Of note was the victory by Veronica Campbell in the 200m as she created history by being the first woman from Jamaica or the Caribbean to win an Olympic Gold in a sprint race. On that occasion (Wednesday August 25, 2004) Campbell ran her personal best of 22.05, beating her main rival, American, Allyson Felix, to the finish line.

Asafa Powell was chosen to highlight the incredible feats of speed for which he has received much acclaim. In 2005 he broke the 100m world record with 9.77 seconds, and stamped his mark on the title of ‘Fastest Man on Earth’ by twice repeating that feat. Then in 2007 he again smashed the world record: his time – a stunning 9.74 seconds.

According to Mr Mike Fennel, as stated in the Gleaner on Tuesday April 22, 2008, Jamaica’s medal hopes at the Beijing Games are concentrated within the following disciplines: athletics, swimming, cycling and equestrian. He added that two boxers will leave the island this week for an Olympic qualifying tournament in Guatemala. Jamaica’s track and field team will be selected by the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association (JAAA) after the national trials scheduled for June 27-29, 2008.

The 2008 Olympics stamps feature triumphant Jamaican athletes from the 2004 Olympics. Highlighted are the ‘Golden Girls’ from the victorious 4 x 100m women’s relay, as well as Veronica Campbell-Brown, gold medalist in the women’s 100m. The men’s 100m World Record holder Asafa Powell is also featured on a stamp.