Charlton breaks world record, LaFond makes history with gold at World Athletics Indoor Championships
Key Points(3)
- I drew a blank on that one, so I can’t tell you what happened.
- The thought going into it was just to execute, and I think I did that.
- I knew I had that kind of time in me, and it was just about putting my race together on the day.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“[Today] was mainly about the gold.
Sunday’s final day of the World Athletics Indoor Championships witnessed remarkable performances as Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas shattered the world record in the women's 60 meters hurdles, while Thea LaFond of Dominica clinched a historic gold in the triple jump.
Charlton, 28, who finished fourth at last year's World Championships, blazed to victory with a time of 7.65 seconds, surpassing her own world record by two-hundredths of a second. France's Cyrena Samba-Mayela, the defending champion, secured silver in 7.74 seconds, while Poland's Pia Skrzyszowska claimed bronze in 7.79 seconds.
Reflecting on her record-breaking run, Charlton expressed satisfaction with her execution and emphasized her focus on winning the gold medal.
I knew I had that kind of time in me
“It felt like . I drew a blank on that one, so I can’t tell you what happened. The thought going into it was just to execute, and I think I did that. I knew I had that kind of time in me, and it was just about putting my race together on the day.
“ was mainly about the gold. I was sharing the world record – didn’t like that too much – so the second goal was to lower it, but if I came away with the gold medal, it would’ve been enough for me.”
Fellow Bahamian Charisma Taylor finished sixth with a time of 7.92 seconds.
Dominica's first-ever medal at a global track and field meet
In the triple jump event, LaFond, 29, made history by securing Dominica's first-ever medal at a global track and field meet. She achieved a world-leading leap of 15.01 meters in the second round, outperforming Cuban Leyanis Perez Hernandez (14.90 meters) and Spaniard Ana Peleteiro (14.75 meters).
Following her remarkable feat, an overwhelmed LaFond expressed pride in her achievement and acknowledged the significance of the moment. Despite producing season-best performances, Charisma Taylor (14.11m) of the Bahamas, and Jamaican Kimberly Williams (14.07m) fell short of the medals.
The World Athletics Indoor Championships concluded with Charlton's record-breaking run and LaFond's historic gold, highlighting the exceptional talent and achievements of Caribbean athletes on the global stage.
