Congratulations to Jamaica for completing a clean sweep in the men’s and women’s sprints at the Beijing Games on Thursday.

Veronica Campbell-Brown surged to 200 metres victory on Thursday, making it four golds from the four individual events and shutting out the U.S. for the first time since they boycotted the Moscow Olympics in 1980.

According to Kerron Stewart, who finished third in the 200m to win a bronze medal to add to the silver she claimed in the 100m, the Jamaicans are taking over.

“We’ve been saying it but I don’t think anyone’s been taking us seriously. I guess they are now,” said the 24-year-old. ”When you put Jamaicans in an environment like this, only good things will happen.

“I think as a team we’re dominating the sport. The Americans have dominated (in the past), but this Olympics has been a Jamaican Olympics.”

Usain Bolt, who turned 22 on Thursday, set the tone with victory in the 100m on Saturday and followed it up with a second gold and a second world record in the 200 on Wednesday.

The women’s 100m went to Shelly-Ann Fraser at the head of a medals sweep in that event before Campbell-Brown’s victory tonight.

By the way, it’s not all down to yam, either. Check out this piece in the Jamaica Observer to see what fuels the Olympic sprint champions.

PHOTO: Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica celebrates winning the women’s 200m athletics final in the National Stadium at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 21, 2008. REUTERS/Jerry Lampen

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt completed a breathtaking sprint double at the Beijing Games on Wednesday, breaking the 200 metres world record that many had thought unbreakable to take his second Olympic gold medal.

The contrast between this and his winning run in the 100 could hardly have been more marked, as this time he gave it everything he had to go under the old best mark, Michael Johnson’s 19.32, by two hundredths of a second.

While Bolt had ambled through the final quarter of the 100, and easily lowered the world record to 9.69, this time he was grimacing with effort as he made for the finish.

There was no one within two, three metres of him as he dipped for the line, glanced over at the clock and leapt with joy as the clock stopped at 19.31.

That was soon rounded down to 19.30 - a mark that will surely not be bettered, certainly by no one else, for a long time to come.

It completed an incredible sprint double for the world’s fastest man and cast an indelible mark on the Olympics. None of us in the 91,000 crowd at the Bird’s Nest will forget it.

What did you make of his performance? What does it mean for Jamaica?

Let us know in the comments.

PHOTO: Usain Bolt of Jamaica gestures after finishing first in his men’s 200m semi-final of the athletics competition at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in the National Stadium August 19, 2008. REUTERS/David Gray

Shelly-Ann Fraser roared clear of the pack to win the Olympic gold medal in the women’s 100 metres and complete a sprint double for Jamaica.

Fraser finished ahead of Kerron Stewart and Sherone Simpson, who dead-heated for silver in a Jamaican clean sweep at the Bird’s Nest on Sunday.

It followed Usain Bolt’s extraordinary victory in the men’s 100 metres on Saturday and confirmed Jamaica as the world’s sprint capital.

Was it all down to Yam power again?

Or is there some other reason why Jamaica is so good? Let us know in the comments.

PHOTO: Shelly-Ann Fraser of Jamaica celebrates winning the women’s 100m final of the athletics competition in the National Stadium at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 17, 2008. REUTERS/Gary Hershorn