Elaine Thompson-Herah captured her third gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games after a very strong Jamaican team set a national record with 41.02 seconds to win gold in the women’s 4x100m on Friday (6).
Thompson-Herah, the individual 100m and 200m champion earlier at the Games, joined forces with 100m silver and medalists, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson, along with Briana Williams to dominate the race, although the team missed breaking the world record of 40.82s.
Watch the replay of the race again
With two women owning lifetime bests faster than 10.70s and one another who is a sub-10.80s runner, Jamaica would have been targeting the American world record from London 2012.
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Nevertheless, the quartet was delighted to get the baton around safely and win the gold medal with the second-fastest in history – sending Happy Independence to greetings to Jamaica.
Williams, who ran the first leg and got Jamaica off to a flying start, said the focus was to get the baton around.
“Was just to get out good and get the stick to Elaine (ran 2nd leg),” she noted.
“It wasn’t perfect, but we managed to take the stick around,” Thompson-Herah said. “Thank these three ladies for giving me this third gold medal.”
“We’re happy to get this gold medal, especially on our Independence Day,” added Thompson-Herah. “We were excited, happy and we’re just talking to ourselves saying do not panic, stick to our own and that was it.”
The United State finished with the silver medal in a season’s best of 41.45 seconds and Great Britain secured the bronze in 41.88.
