Thompson-Herah Leads Jamaica Clean Sweep of 100m Medals

Elaine Thompson-Herah of Team Jamaica celebrates crossing the finish line to win the gold medal in the Women's 100m Final on day eight of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium, in Tokyo, Japan, on July 31, 2021. Matthias Hangst/Getty Images

TOKYO—Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah retained her 100 metres title on Saturday in a scorching 10.61 seconds as she smashed the Olympic record and became the second fastest woman ever.

Double Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won silver while fellow compatriot Shericka Jackson took bronze.

What They Said

Elaine Thompson-Herah

On Her Celebration

“I have no idea (what I said), I don’t remember… I think I could’ve gone faster if I wasn’t pointing and celebrating early. I wanted to show that there is more in store, so hopefully one day I can unleash that.”

Shelly-Anne Fraser Pryce

On Winning Silver

“Of course you are disappointed, you know, and the only aim that an athlete lines up for is to always win, but that didn’t happen tonight. I am still grateful to be able to make the finals and to be able to stand on the podium at my fourth Olympic Games.”

On the Women’s Sprinting

“I’m really excited that female sprinting is going (to) another level and that’s truly remarkable.

“It speaks to the depth that we have in terms of females and you just always have to show up and be ready, so I’m just grateful that the gift God has given me was on display tonight and, even though it happened that way, I’am still excited that I walk away yet again with another medal”

On Whether These Were Her Last Olympics

“Yes,” she said smiling.

Shericka Jackson

On Getting Bronze

“Just to be here is an amazing feeling, you know, I came out here to do my best, my best was good enough—I got a personal best, and I got a medal, I can’t complain… I was just focusing on me, I wanted to execute as best as possible, I think I did that, I got a medal, I can’t complain.”

On Jamaica’s Clean Sweep

“It is special, and I am glad I am on that 1–2–3. It is a first running a 100m at a major championship and I got a medal.”

On Jamaica’s Celebration

“I know the celebration is going crazy, right now. And we got 1–2–3, we did our best and our best was really, really good, enough for 1–2–3.”

On Winning a Medal at Tokyo 2020

“I think last year was my biggest blessing. When the Olympics was postponed, I was really, really, happy, because after a magnificent 2019, I had two stress fractures…. It was a struggling 2020, just to be here, running in the 2021 Olympics and getting a bronze medal, I am just so grateful.”