It’s a Jamaican sweep, mon!

BEIJING – The Olympic sprints are officially Jamaica’s world, and we’re all just spectators at a rollicking party.

Shelly-Ann Fraser, Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart ran off with an unprecedented sweep of the women’s 100-meter dash Sunday, a victory that withstood American officials’ protests that the field should have been called back after Torri Edwards’ admitted false start.

It was the first time since 1976 that no American woman finished in the top three in the 100 at a fully attended Olympics. Marion Jones won gold in 2000, but her feat was nullified after she confessed to doping before the Sydney Games.

While Fraser, Simpson and Stewart wrapped themselves in the green-and-gold flag of their homeland and celebrated the sixth sweep of a women’s event in Olympic history, the Americans wondered how Caribbean rhythms had become the soundtrack of the sprints at the Bird’s Nest stadium.

“It definitely hurt,” said Lauryn Williams, the Athens 100-meter silver medalist but fourth on Sunday, one spot ahead of Muna Lee and four ahead of Edwards.

“I think we take for granted the fact we’ve been on top of the game for I don’t know how many Olympics before … it was really hard for us that nobody got a medal.”

Powering her way out of Lane 4, Fraser burst away from the pack about 35 meters down the track and finished in a personal-best time of 10.78 seconds. Simpson and Stewart were each timed at 10.98, and each received a silver medal.

“Wow,” said Jeanette Kwakye of Great Britain, who finished sixth and was the only European in the final. “Who’s better than Jamaica, mon. I need to go there, mon.”

Don’t we all. In spirit, if not in body.

Jamaican men and women had won silver and bronze in the 100 several times, but none reached the top of the Olympic podium. That ended when Usain Bolt flew to a 9.69 on Saturday.

“It’s about time. We’ve been waiting on this,” Stewart said. “We’ve had so many great athletes come close.”

Fraser ended that frustration with a vibrant flourish.

“I’m excited. Oh my God, I can’t believe I actually won,” she said, giddy and giggly and utterly unaffected.

It didn’t help the Americans that Edwards, sure she had false-started, hesitated and awaited a second blast of the starter’s gun. None came, and it was too late for her to recover.

Edwards, who missed the Athens Games while serving a drug ban, finished last in 11.20 seconds. That’s well off the world-leading 10.78 she had run in June.

“I should have gone with the start. That was really a rookie mistake,” she said. “I got stuck out there; 11.2 is so mediocre it’s ridiculous.”

Lee, the U.S. Olympic trials champion, also hung back while anticipating a false start call. She was timed in 11.07, just behind Williams’ 11.03

Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie of the Bahamas, seventh in 11.19, expected Edwards or Lee to win medals.

“I honestly don’t know what happened,” Ferguson-McKenzie said. “The fat lady has sung, and Jamaica it is.”