THE OLYMPIC euphoria, which has swept every nook and cranny of the island, did not escape even the confines of the Bellevue hospital on Windward Road in Kingston yesterday, as Jamaica's men's 4x100 relay team claimed a sixth gold medal in record time at the Beijing Olympics.

Staff and patients struggled to catch a glimpse of the quartet in action. Nurses, wardens, nurse assistants and patients crowded around the single television set on the hospital's Roy O. Coke (ROC) ward.

A man sat in a corner, dicing a piece of watermelon, he offered bits to other patients in the room. But, as the euphoria built to a crescendo, he joined those gathered to watch the race.

After a disastrous baton fumble by the women's 4x100 relay team, spirits sank in the psychiatric ward. Hospital staff reluctantly went back to their duties, trying hard to block out the screams of the Russian team as it ran home with the gold - the medal that, by all bets, belonged to Jamaica.

Disappointment

"A give wi give weh da medal deh man, it hurt me," shouted a male warden.

One nurse assistant, however, sought to bring comfort to the ward, explaining that "all disappointment is for a reason. What is yours is yours, everything happens for a reason", she told her colleagues as she proceeded to play a gospel song on her small stereo.

"No sah," interrupted a nurse, "Foolishness that, is fi dem goal and dem give it weh," she argued.

But, minutes later, the dark cloud that hung over the ROC ward disappeared as Jamaica's own 'lightning', Usain Bolt, flashed across the TV screen. Bolt destroyed the third leg of the relay and handed over to anchor Asafa Powell, who ran a superb leg as the team clocked 37.10 seconds to break the United States' 16-year-old record of 37.40.

The hospital staff erupted.

"Yes, Jesus, another gold fi Jamaica. Asafa come back come show dem seh him a boss," shouted a senior nurse.