By AA Correspondent
Julien Alfred won St. Lucia’s first ever Olympic medal. It happened to be the gold in the women’s 100 metres at the expense of world-record holder Sha’Carri Richardson of the US.
The day also saw Dominica, another Caribbean island nation, take its first Olympic medal, also a gold, through woman triple jumper Thea LaFond in a rain-interrupted competition with a second-round national record of 15.02m.
An incredible anchor by Femke Bol provided the Netherlands the gold in the 4x400m mixed relay as the world-record holder US team settled for the silver on a day of dramatic twists of fortunes for the underdogs.
Alfred had asserted her credentials in the semifinals of the 100m, edging Richardson 10.84 to 10.89. But the expectations were for the American world champion to come into her own in the final. That did not happen, as another poor start did Richardson in while Alfred got off to an electrifying start and was in the lead by just ten metres.
Alfred, the world indoor champion, kept widening the lead till the 60-metre mark but from then on, Richardson made a gallant effort though in vain. The 23-year-old Caribbean sprinter led almost every ten-metre segment in a what was expected to be a rousing battle but which did not turn out up to expectations. Alfred was home in 10.72s while Richardson who missed the last Olympics because of a marijuana-related doping suspension, came in 10.87s for the silver. Melissa Jefferson of the US took the bronze in 10.92s.
Richardson at 0.221s had the worst reaction time off the blocks while Alfred and Jefferson had 0.144s, the fourth best in the field of eight finalists.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica, who was looking for her fifth straight Olympic 100m medal in what was to be her final appearance in the Olympics 100m, did not start, reportedly because of a hamstring injury. Ivory Coast’s Marie Josee Ta Lou-Smith, apparently suffering an injury during the race, finished last. She was one of the medal contenders.
Alfred, silver winner in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, celebrated as she crossed the line, arms raised. “I’m going to start crying. I’ve been trying to stay strong as much as possible. It means a lot to me, my coach, my country, which I’m sure is celebrating now,” she told the media.
Crouser had been battling injuries for some time but the big American is such a fine technician in the circle that he could once again reel off throws of 22-metre-plus on his first three attempts. He fouled the next two in rain and with the circle slippery and having ensured the gold, he passed his last attempt.
Crouser had won the Olympic gold in 2016 and 2021 while he also won the last two World championships title in 2022 and 2023. He had finished runner-up Joe Kovacs, his American team-mate in the 2019 World championships at Doha.
On Saturday night, Kovacs took the silver with his last throw of 22.15m that tied with Jamaican Rajindra Campbell. The American’s better second throw (21.71m to 20.00m) clinched him the second place. Campbell fouled his last four attempts.
Tom Walsh of New Zealand, a former World champion, who had also won two Olympic bronze medals finished without a mark, apparently having suffered an injury.
LaFond had won the World Indoor title earlier in the year with a national record of 15.01m. With world-record holder Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela absent because of an achilles tendon injury, LaFond was a strong medal contender along with Cuban Leyanis Perez, who eventually finished fifth with 14.62m.
Jamaican Sherieka Ricketts finished second with 14.87m, while American Jasmine Moore (14.67m) claimed the bronze.
“It is absolutely beyond my wildest dreams,” said LaFond. “We always said it takes one jump. Second jump at the World Indoor Championships was the big one. Second jump outdoors at the Olympics was the big one, that’s what it took.”.
LaFond said that rain came in her favour since she had done her second and eventual winning jump by then.
Ricketts said that it was a “dream come true”.
Femke Bol who would be fighting for the 400m hurdles honours later in these championships with American world-record holder and favourite Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone , stepped in for the Dutch in the mixed relay final. And what an anchor leg she produced.
Bol overhauled three others from about 150 metres out to inch ahead on the home straight, finally going past American Kylyn Brown. As she progressed through those final agonising 10 metres, the Dutchwoman was confident of crossing the line first. There was jubilation in the Dutch camp as the team members huddled on the trackside, leaving the Americans crestfallen.
The other Dutch team members were Eugene Omalla, Leike Klaver and Issaya Klein Ikkink. The clocked an Area record of 3:07.43. The US which clocked a world record 3:07.42 in the heats, settled for silver in 3:07.74. Britain won the bronze in 3:08.01, a national record.
Markus Rooth of Norway won the decathlon gold in a dramatic finish with a personal best and national record of 8796 points. World leader for the season, Leo Neugebauer of Germany took the silver with 8748 while London Victor of Grenada won the bronze with 8711.
World champion Pierce LePage of Canada was absent in this competition because of an injury while world-record holder Kevin Mayer of Germany also withdrew at the last moment. Defending champion Damian Warner of Canada had a nightmarish pole vault in which he no-heighted to go out of the race. For the first time in Olympic history, the top three crossed 8700 points.
For Asia, interest was kept alive in the men’s 100m by Japan’s Abdul Sani Brown (10.02s) and Thailand’s 18-year-old prodigy Phooripol Bunson (10.13s) coming second and third respectively in a heat won by Oblique Seville (9.99s) of Jamaica. All three qualified for the semifinals.
Expectedly, there was cheer for Asia in men’s pole vault qualification as well as John Ernest Obiena made it to the final along with favourite Mondo Duplantis among others with a 5.75m clearance.
There was, however, disappointment for Asia as Akihiro Higashide of Japan (10.19s, fifth), Mohd Azim Fahim of Malaysia (10.45s, ninth), Xie Zhengye of China (10.16s, fourth), Lalu Muhammad Zohri of Indonesia (10.26s, sixth) and Ryuichiro Sakai of Japan (10.17s, fifth) were eliminated in their respective heats of the men’s 100 metres.
Pho to Credit:
Sani Brown: https://www.news-daily.com/fieldlevel/olympics-athletics-morning-session/image_a5ad74e1-a17c-58d5-9cfb-bc0daaed953e.html Boonson: https://www.bangkokpost.com/sports/2840881/kunlavut-carries-thai-hopes-for-historic-badminton-medal
