KINGSTON, Jamaica — With less than three million people, Jamaica is giving the United States, with a population over 300 million, a literal run for their money in sprinting.

A signal was sent as far back as 1948 in London when Arthur Wint gave the tiny Caribbean island its first gold medal with Herb McKenley’s silver in the 400m.

The island went on to set a world record in 4×400 relay at the Helsinki Games in 1952 relegating the mighty Americans to second place.

Over the years George Kerr, then Donald Quarrie and the indomitable Merlene Ottey kept Jamaica on the athletics map.

The current crop —Usain Bolt, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Veronica Campbell-Brown, Melaine Walker, Asafa Powell et al — has cemented Jamaica as a powerhouse on the track.

But the island’s sprint dominance goes beyond athletes wearing the black, green and gold kit.

For instance, Usain Bolt is not the first Jamaica-born Olympic 100metre champion.

Three other Jamaican-born athletes preceded Bolt, albeit one was stripped of the title for doping.

Linford Christie was born in St Andrew in 1960 and competed for Great Britain at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. He became Olympic champion winning in 9.96 seconds.

Donovan Bailey was born in the cool hills of Manchester but he became Olympic champion at the 1996 Atlanta Games in the US, competing for Canada. He won gold in a time of 9.84 seconds.

Disgraced sprinter Ben Johnson was Canada’s golden boy, if only for 48 hours, before his urine sample tested positive at the Seoul Olympics in 1988. He was stripped of both his gold medal and his world record of 9.79 seconds.

Other notable Jamaican-born athletes competing for other nations are 400metre Sanya Richards-Ross of the US and Tessa Sanderson.