Jamaica, an island with a population smaller than the state of Connecticut, continues to dominate in the Summer Olympic Games’ glamour event, the 100m.
For those wondering, Connecticut isn’t very big as only Delaware and Rhode Island are smaller in the United States.
So to dominate a sport with so few options is beyond “REMARKABLE, in fact I’d call it “UNFATHOMABLE.”
Since Gail Devers in the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games no American woman has won gold in the 100m.
This year’s hopeful was Sha’Carri Richardson who was suspended for a failed drug test, and unable to participate.
I personally believe she didn’t want the smoke with these unreal speedsters from Jamaica.
Richardson’s best time in the U.S. Trials probably wouldn’t have been good enough to even medal against these three.
Four years from now Thompson-Herah will be (34), Fraser-Pryce will be (38) and retired, and Jackson will be 32, while Richardson will be 24.
It opens up for her to medal in 2024 and 2028.
Elaine Thompson-Herah won her second consecutive gold medal in Olympic record time of 10.61.
In the process, she denied her 34-year-is countrywoman Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce the honor of becoming the first woman to ever win three Olympic 100m sprint golds — the same as Bolt.
The two women have now shared the last four Summer Olympic gold medals.
Fraser-Pryce, who took home the gold in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012, won bronze in Rio and has now added a silver medal after finishing behind the 29-year-old Thompson-Herah in 10.74 seconds.
Shericka Jackson is the third piece of the Jamaican triumvirate that made it a clean sweep in the women’s 100m.
She posted a time of 10.76 seconds
In the past, Bolt’s dominance of the Olympics often overshadowed everyone, even his countrywomen who have thoroughly dominated women’s sprinting in the same way
As lights dropped in the stadium and the track beamed a light show prior to the race, it was a pity that there was no crowd or flashbulbs in attendance — but Thompson-Herah lit up the track.
Yes it was an extremely fast run, in fact an Olympic record time, on a track proven to be quick, in perfect hot humid conditions with no wind.
But even with all those factors supporting the run, they still could not get close to the (10.49s) world record set by American Florence Griffith-Joyner — “Flo Jo” in 1988.
With new technology spikes helping sprinters run quicker and the perfect conditions in Tokyo it only reinforced the brilliance of Flo-Jo’s long-standing and seemingly untouchable record.
This race was expected to be about five sprinters Thompson-Herah, Fraser-Pryce, and Jackson of Jamaica.
With the aforementioned Richardson of the United States and the Ivory Coast’ Marie Josee Ta Lou providing the biggest challenge to the three Jamaicans.
But that didn’t happen as Richardson wasn’t able to participate and Ta Lou finished a distant fourth at (10.91s).
Following a week of controversy which saw as many as 10 Nigerian runners barred from coming to the Olympics after failing to meet out-of-competition drug testing requirements, the Jamaican trio continued to show even without Usain “The GOAT” Bolt, Jamaican track and field still reigns supreme.
