BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

The Organisation of American States has hailed Jamaica's superb performance at the Beijing Olympics, which concluded Sunday.

In a letter addressed to Jamaica's Prime Minister Bruce Golding, the OAS' secretary general, Jose Miguel Insulza pointed to the country's sweep of the men's and women's 100 metres events as remarkable achievements "for which Jamaica should be very proud".

Insulza pointed out that the achievement was even more poignant as it was not often that an athlete from any of the Caribbean or the Latin American countries won as many medals at the Olympic Games.

"It therefore makes all of us in this hemisphere immensely happy and proud that our sister state of Jamaica so decisively claimed the coveted titles of the world's fastest man and woman," the letter said.

Usain Bolt swept both the men's sprints in world-record times, while Shelly-Ann Fraser captured the women's 100 metres title and Veronica Campbell-Brown, the 200 metres title.

Jamaica also won the men's sprint relay title in world-record time.