PARIS, France — Jamaica’s long-standing dominance in women’s sprinting came to an unexpected end at the Stade de France on Saturday night.
Despite strong performances in the semi-finals, only one Jamaican sprinter, teenager Tia Clayton, made it to the final. Clayton won her semi-final heat with an impressive time of 10.89 seconds, defeating Great Britain’s Daryll Neita and American Twanisha Terry.
The night took a shocking turn with the late withdrawal of the legendary Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who suffered an apparent hamstring injury during warm-up. This unfortunate event, coupled with injuries to Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shericka Jackson, meant that none of the Jamaican medalists from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics could compete. As a result, Jamaica failed to secure a top-three finish in the women’s 100m for the first time since the 1988 Seoul Olympics, breaking a 36-year streak during which the nation amassed 15 medals in this event.
In Jamaica’s absence, St Lucia’s Julien Alfred emerged victorious, setting a National Record with a time of 10.72 seconds. American Sha’Carri Richardson took silver in 10.87 seconds, while her teammate Melissa Jefferson claimed bronze in 10.92 seconds. Neita finished fourth with a time of 10.96 seconds.
Optimistic about her chances in the 1500m event
Earlier, Jamaica’s 4x400m mixed relay team, consisting of Reheem Hayles, Junelle Bromfield, Zandrion Barnes, and Stephenie Ann McPherson, finished fifth with a time of 3:11.67 minutes. The Netherlands won the race, setting an Area Record of 3:07.43 minutes, followed by the USA and Great Britain.
In the women’s 800m Repechage Round, Adelle Tracey finished fifth in her heat with a time of 2:03.67 minutes, indicating a below-par performance as she recovers from a recent injury. However, she remains optimistic about her chances in the 1500m event, which begins on Tuesday.
Looking ahead, the focus shifts to the men’s 100m, with the final set to take place today. The semi-finals will see Oblique Seville, Ackeem Blake, and Kishane Thompson competing against strong contenders like Noah Lyles, Fred Kerley, and Andre De Grasse. The top two finishers from each heat, along with the two fastest losers, will advance to the final, scheduled for 9:30 pm (3:30 pm EST).
Sunday’s events also include the women’s 200m heats, with Shericka Jackson as a main contender, the men’s long jump, the 110m hurdles, and the men’s and women’s 400m heats, offering multiple opportunities for Jamaica to make a mark.
