Rest in greatness. Germaine Mason, a British Olympic track and field medalist, died in a motorcycle crash in his native Jamaica on Thursday, April 20. He was 34.
Mason, who won the silver medal for Great Britain at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, was riding with a number of other athletes, including world’s fastest man Usain Bolt, when he reportedly lost control of his bike on the Palisadoes main road in Kingston.
Other high-profile international athletes who were also in the convoy included retired Jamaican footballer Ricardo Gardner and 100-meter silver medalist Michael Frater.
According to the U.K.’s Guardian, Mason was trying to avoid colliding with a vehicle that had lost control on the other side of the road when he fatally crashed his bike. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Mason was born in Jamaica and trained with the Stephen Francis-coached MVP Track Club before joining the Great Britain team in 2006. The Jamaica Constabulary released a brief statement via Twitter shortly after his death was confirmed: “Germaine Mason, 34, Jamaican-born athlete and former national high jumper, died in a motorcycle crash this morning.”
Jamaica prime minister Andrew Holness also tweeted a few kind words in the wake of Mason’s tragic death. “Our sincere condolences to the entire sporting fraternity.”
Fellow athletes and friends took to social media to express their grief over the track and field star’s death.
