Who’s Who In Athletics Among Those Bidding Adieu To Germaine Mason

Top athletes gathered in Kingston to bid final adieu to Olympian Germaine Mason. (Instagram image)

By NAN Contributor

News Americas, KINGSTON, Jamaica, Mon. May 22, 2017: A Who’s Who list of top athletes were among those who packed into the Hagley Park Seventh Day Adventist Church in Kingston Sunday morning to bid a final adieu to Jamaican-born British Olympian, Germaine Mason, whose life was tragically cut short last month in a motorcycle accident.

Leading the list was Jamaican-born Triple Olympian, Usain Bolt, who according to Jamaica Star reports, seemed inconsolable at the funeral, constantly wiping away tears from behind his dark glasses as his girlfriend sat to his left.

Triple Olympian Usain Bolt wipes away tears at the funeral for close friend Germaine Mason on Sunday, May 21, 2017. (Jamaica Star image)

Bolt, who helped to dig the grave for Mason on Friday, served as a pall bearer on Sunday along with former Reggae Boyz and Bolton footballer Ricardo Gardner and Tranmere player Ian Goodison.

Also paying respects at the funeral were Mason’s former Jamaica team-mate and Olympian, Michael Frater as well as Jamaican Olympians Nesta Carter and Asafa Powell and former 400-m hurdler Neil Gardner.

With Olympians Michael Frater and Nesta Carter by his side, Ricardo Gardner said at the funeral: “They say time will help but it keeps getting harder and harder. I will try to stay strong for your family but when I am alone it is not easy staying strong.”

Mason, 34, an Olympic silver medalist and Wolmers alumnus, died after the motorcycle he was riding back from a soca party, crashed along the Palisdoes strip in Kingston in the wee hours of April 20th. His body was laid to rest in Long Road, Portland Sunday. He is survived by five-year-old son Jelani and numerous family and friends.