Tokyo Olympics Updates #15 Day 9 - Evening Nine Medals for Jamaica!
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Tokyo Olympics Updates #15 Day 9 - Evening Nine medals for Jamaica! Jamaica finished the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with nine medals, all from athletics. Four gold, one silver and four bronze. The 4x400m women's team added one bronze to the medal tally on the final day when the quartet of Roneisha McGregor, Janieve Russell, Shericka Jackson and Candice McLeod won bronze. They posted a season's best 3:21.24 behind winners the United States, 3:16.85 and Poland 3:20.53. The United States led all the way followed by Poland. McLeod got the baton 4th but fought well to pass Canada's Sage Watson in the home stretch to take the last medal on offer. In the men's 4x400m final, the team of Demish Gaye, Christopher Taylor, Jaheel Hyde and Nathon Allen worked hard throughout but were unable to get close enough to the medals and finished 6th in a season’s best of 2:58.76. The United States won in 2:55.70, Netherlands was 2nd in 2:57.18 and Botswana 3rd in 2:57.27 Congratulations to all the Olympians who proudly and valiantly represented Jamaica. Day 8 – Evening Women take sprint relay gold! Jamaica's women celebrated Independence Day in style, grabbing a gold medal in the sprint relay to add to the seven harnessed earlier. The quartet of Briana Williams, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson ran a national record of 41.02 and were a cut above the field. This gold medal is the third for Thompson at these games and the fourth for Jamaica. The men's 4x100 team of Jevaughn Minzie, Julian Forte, Yohan Blake and Oblique Seville were fifth in 37.84. The women's 400m final proved an unhappy hunting ground for Jamaica. Undoubtedly the best chance of a medal, Stephenie Ann McPherson, with 49.61, was overhauled in the last 50m for the bronze medal by all-time great Allyson Felix who ran a season's best of 49.46. The improving Candice McLeod finished 5th with 49.87. Shaunae Miller-Uibo defended her title with a personal best of 48.36 with Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic second in a personal best of 49.20. Demish Gaye, Jaheel Hyde, Karayme Bartley and Nathon Allen put in a decent display on the heats of the men's 4x400m relay. They were third for most of the way but a convincing final leg by Allen saw him overall Johnathan Borlee to take second in a season's best 2:59.29 behind winners Poland 2:58.55. Jamaica time was just seventh overall. The final will be super competitive as there were five teams under three minutes in the first heat led by the United States with 2:58.77. Finalist in the 400m, Christopher Taylor, among others could be added. Day 7 - Evening Christopher Taylor was in the spotlight in the final of the 400m on the evening of day seven. Drawn way out in lane 9, he flew for 250m. He displayed superb strength and grit, holding his form and finishing well even with the battle for a medal taking place ahead of him. Taylor fought like we know he can and finished with a personal best of 44.79. He will return. The winner was Bahamian Steve Gardiner who came home in 43.85 with Anthony Zambrano of Colombia second in 44.08 and 2012 Olympics Champion Kirani James third with 44.19. The quartet of Junelle Broomfield, Roneisha McGregor, Janieve Russell and Stacey Ann Williams were good enough for second in their 4x400m relay semifinal with a time of 3:21.95. Favorites the United States were in front with 3:20.86. Candice McLeod and Stephanie Ann McPherson, finalists in the 400m, are ready and could be added. Day 7 - Morning Parchment and Levy star in hurdles! Jamaican athletes were in punishing form on the morning of day seven, with almost every move producing a positive result. Star man was Hansle Parchment who produced a tremendous burst of speed to catch and pass American favourite Grant Holloway and win gold in the 110m hurdles. National champion Ronald Levy gave Jamaica double delight as he grabbed bronze. Parchment, who picked up a bronze in the event in London 2012, won in 13.04 with Holloway 2nd in 13.09 and Levy 13.10. Jamaica was winning the event in consecutive games as Omar McLeod won in 2016. The two medals sees Jamaica with seven (7) medals including three gold. In the women's sprint relay semifinals, the quartet of Briana Williams, Natasha Morrison, Remona Burchell and Shericka Jackson were good enough for third with 42.15 behind the Unites States and winners Great Britain who posted 41.55 and 41.99 respectively. Jackson received the baton well behind the American anchor and closed rapidly. With Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce coming in for the final run, Jamaica should do well. Jamaica's men were even better. The team of Jevaughn Minzie, Julian Forte, Yohan Blake and Oblique Seville led throughput and went to post a very good 37.81 in winning their heat. Day 6 - Evening Jamaica will be represented by two excellent medal prospects in the women's 400m final. Candice McLeod produced another personal best with a gutsy run in the semifinals of the 400m. The vastly improved runner finished like a Mack truck as she drove her way into second place in 49.51. Stephenie Ann McPherson went one better by winning her semifinal, also in a personal best of 49.34. She positioned herself well behind Allyson Felix and ran away from her coming off the final turn to take the win easing up. The third semifinalist, Roneisha McGregor also ran well but did not make the cut. She ran a good 50.34 for third but did not qualify on time. Jamaica's sole representative the 200m final, Rasheed Dwyer, running from lane 9, gave all he got in the final and it took him to 7th in a time of 20.21 behind winner Andre Degrasse of Canada in 19.62. Day 6 - Morning Janieve Russell ran the race of her life in the final of the 400m Hurdles but came up short of a medal. She finished 4th in a personal best 53.08 but a long way behind the medallists who were in a league of their own. In third was Femke Bol of the Netherlands with a personal best of 52.03 with former record holder Delilah Mohammad second with 51.58, a time that is faster than the old world record. The winner was Sydney McLaughlin who posted an astounding new world record of 51.46! Russell was fantastic but was outclassed on this occasion. Well done. The male sprint hurdlers were on track as well and two were able to advance to the final. Ronald Levy showed guts and fight as he won his semifinal in 13.23. Hansle Parchment was second in his semifinal with a good 13.23 as well, easing up before the line. rd Damion Thomas ran 13.39 finishing 3 in another semifinal but did not make the final. Day 5 Evening Elaine Thompson-Herah is immortal! Elaine Thompson-Herah etched her name in the record books when she won the 200m and became the first woman to defend the sprint double at the Olympics. She won in a national record 21.53. Christine Mboma of Namibia was second in 21.81 with American Gabby Thomas 3rd in 21.87. Fourth was Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in 21.94. This was Jamaica's fifth medal at these games. Thompson-Herah, who had won the 100m four days ago, looked a cut above the great opposition as she led from start to finish. With this win, she became Jamaica's best individual female performer in Olympic history with four gold medals. Only Usain Bolt has won more individual gold medals as a Jamaican with eight. Thompson also became only the third woman to defend the 200m title after Barbel Wockel of East Germany in 1980 and Jamaica's Veronica Campbell in 2008. National champion Natoya Goule tried to stay with the pace of eventual winner Athing Mu in the 800m final. She was 2nd coming off the final turn but she faded in the last 75 metres and finished 8th in 1:58.26. In the 110m hurdles heats, National Champion Ronald Levy was smooth throughout, easily winning his heat in 13.17. Youngster Damion Thomas hit a couple of barriers but he managed to compose himself and qualified in 3rd position in his heat with 13.54, while Hansle Parchment proved his well-being with a good run, posting 13.23 for third behind American world champion Grant Holloway who ran fastest at 13.02. Day 5 Morning The majority of Jamaica's athletes performed well on the morning of day five. All three ladies in the 400m advanced to the semifinals. Roneisha McGregor was second in her heat with 51.14 behind the great Allyson Felix of the United States. Candice McLeod ran easily to post 51.09 to win her heat while Stephenie Ann McPherson also won her heat with 50.89 to advance. In the 200m heats for men, it took 20.31 by Rasheed Dwyer to win his heat. His compatriot Julian Forte never looked comfortable and finished 7th in another heat with 20.65. Jumper Carey McLeod, who got to Japan only last week, spanned 16.01m which did not advance him to the final of the triple jump.