TOKYO, Japan – Jamaican Elaine Thompson-Herah made history on day four of track and field at the Summer Olympic Games here Tuesday when she completed a spectacular sprint double by winning the 200 meters in the second fastest time ever.
Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica wins the Gold Medal during the Women's 200m Final on day eleven of the athletics events of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on August 3, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)The 29 year-old sprinter dominated the half-lap from start to finish in a time of 21.53 seconds, becoming the first woman to win back-to-back 100 and 200 meters gold at an Olympiad.
Thompson-Herah, fresh from her successful defense of her 100 meters title on last weekend, zipped from the blocks, flew around the turn and entered the final 100m alone.
Drama unfolded behind her as 2013 World 200m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce spun off the curve in second place but was unfortunately caught, first by United States champion Gabrielle Thomas and then by Namibian Christine Mboma.
Thomas looked to be en route to silver before 18-year-old Namibian Christine Mboma produced a late burst to take silver in a new world Under-20 record of 21.81 seconds, as the American finished third in 21.87.
“I’m just a bit speechless. God is amazing. I’ve been battling with injury for years and I’ve kept God close in my heart and I talk to him,” a breathless Thompson said following her success.
“If I could show you my phone now with all my PBs (personal bests) and aims that I have in it, and this was a part of it – to defend my title.
“No matter the struggles and the obstacles, you can hurdle them, you can do it, and I have hurdled all my obstacles and it brought me here today.”
There was disappointment for Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, however, the veteran sprinter fading to finish fourth in 21.94 while Bahamian Shaunae Miller-Uibo was last in 24 seconds.
Kyron McMaster, meanwhile, made a valiant run in the men’s 400 meter hurdles final but even though he set a new British Virgin Islands record of 47.08 seconds, was shunted to fourth place as Norwegian Karsten Warholm decimated the world record with a time of 45.94 seconds.
American Rai Benjamin, son of former West Indies pacer Winston Benjamin, also broke Warholm’s old mark of 46.70 with an national record 46.17 seconds as he finished second.
The medal bid by Jamaica Natoya Goule in the women’s 800 meters became unstuck in the last 250 meters when she faded to finish last in one minute, 58.26 seconds, as 19 year-old American Athing Mu strode away to a national record 1:55.21 seconds and the gold medal.
Goule had won both her first round and semi-final races impressively.
The women’s 400, the men’s 200 meters and the 110 meters hurdles saw Caribbean athletes advance. After a medal winning run for the Dominican Republic in the mixed 4×400 relay, Marileidy Paulino won her 400m heat in 50.06 seconds.
Miller-Uibo, Jamaica’s number one Stephenie McPherson and her teammates Candice McLeod and Roneisha McGregor all moved into the semi-finals.
Trinidadian Jereem Richards, the 2017 World Championships bronze medalist and 2014 Commonwealth Games winner, Rasheed Dwyer of Jamaica, reached the gold medal race with semi-final times of 20.10 and 20.13 seconds respectively.
Richards is drawn in lane two and Dwyer in lane nine, with World Champion Noah Lyles of the United States in lane three and Canada’s Andre De Grasse, the 100 meter bronze medalist, in pole position in lane six.
The final is set for 9:55 pm on Wednesday (8:55 am, Eastern Caribbean time).
In the men’s sprint hurdles, the Jamaican trio of Ronald Levy, the reigning Commonwealth champion; 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, Hansle Parchment and 2018 World Under 20 winner Damion Thomas, all reached the 110 meter hurdles semi-final.
Shane Brathwaite of Barbados, the 2019 Pan-American Games gold medal winner, was eliminated after finishing six in heat two in 13.64.
Pundits are a world record in the women’s 400 meters hurdles final, set for 11:30 am Wednesday (10:30 pm, Tuesday, Eastern Caribbean time), where 2016 finalist Janieve Russell of Jamaica will start in lane six.
The favored trio of American Sydney McLaughlin, Femke Bol of Holland and Dalilah Muhammad of the United States have been assigned lanes four, five and seven respectively.
McLaughlin beat reigning champion Muhammad to win the US Trials in June with a new world record of 51.90 seconds.
The old mark belonged to Muhammad at 52.16 seconds.
