usain_bolt3_web.jpgKINGSTON (AP) —  Thousands of Jamaicans packed the national arena on Monday night to honor the country's Olympians and Paralympians after a banner year for the sprinting powerhouse.

Champion sprinters Usain Bolt, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and the rest of Jamaica's athletes sang along with gospel, reggae and dancehall songs performed at a special show to honor the athletes who competed at the games in London.

Performers such as I-Octane, Ce'Cile and Beenie Man got the athletes grinning and rocking in their seats.

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller thanked all the athletes, saying they showed there was “nothing that can stop a Jamaican when they are determined to succeed.” She called the athletes the “most powerful unifying force” in the country.

At the London Olympics, Jamaica's athletes won a record haul of 12 medals, surpassing the 11 they won in Beijing in 2008.