Defending champion leads Jamaican clean sweep of the medals and equals the second-fastest time in history

Elaine Thompson-Herah successfully defended her 100m Olympic title in astonishing fashion as she broke the Games record to win gold in Tokyo.

The woman who achieved the 100m and 200m sprint double in Rio five years ago clocked a remarkable 10.61 (-0.6) – equalling the second-fastest time in history – to see off the attentions of fellow Jamaicans Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (10.74) and Shericka Jackson (a PB of 10.76) as the top six finishers all shattered the 11-second barrier on Saturday night in Japan.

It is the third time Jamaica have competed a clean sweep of the podium positions in an Olympic event after also doing so in the women’s 100m in 2008 and men’s 200m in 2012.

Marie-Josée Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast was fourth in 10.91, followed by the Swiss duo of Ajla del Ponte (10.97) and Mujinga Kambundji (10.99).

Expectations had been high that Dina Asher-Smith would be firmly in contention too but the world 200m champion failed to qualify for the final following an injury-affected run in the semis. Instead it was Daryll Neita who became the first British sprinter to make the women’s Olympic 100m final since Jeanette Kwakye in 2008, and she came home in eighth in 11.12.

Neita had actually reacted quickest to the gun, with 2008 and 2012 champion Fraser-Pryce – who ran 10.63 at the Jamaican Olympic Trials earlier this year – faster than Thompson-Herah out of the blocks. However, as the field got fully into their stride and reached the halfway mark, it was the defending champion who began to take control.

She has been beset by injuries in recent years – admitting that an Achilles problem almost prevented her from competing in Tokyo – but the 29-year-old looked in supreme form as she established a gap on the field and blasted her way into the history books, breaking Florence Griffith Joyner’s 33-year-old Olympic mark.

Thompson-Herah screamed as she crossed the line and the enormity of what she’d done began to sink in.

“I knew I had it in me but obviously I’ve had my ups and downs with injuries. I’ve been keeping faith all this time. It is amazing,” she said of her performance, with her attention now switching to the 200m.

“I’ve been injured so much. I’m grateful I could get back on the track and get back out on the track this year to retain the title.

“I could have gone faster if I wasn’t pointing and celebrating early. But that shows there is more in store so hopefully one day I can unleash that time.

“I couldn’t find the words. I screamed so loud because I was so happy.”

Fraser-Pryce, however, found herself towards the opposite end of the emotional spectrum, despite becoming the first athlete to win four Olympic medals in the women’s 100m.

“Of course you are disappointed, you know,” said the 34-year-old world champion. “The aim of an athlete lining up, of course, is always to win but that didn’t happen tonight.

“But I am still very grateful to make the finals and to be able to stand at the podium at my fourth Olympic Games. Putting it in perspective, I am really grateful for the opportunity that I had tonight.

“I am really excited that female sprinting is going to another level, you know, and that is truly remarkable, it speaks to the depth that we have in terms of females.”

This had been an event which looked ready to match the pre-Olympic hype right from the word go, given how fast the heats – Ta Lou equalled the African record with 10.78 on day one – and semi-finals proved to be.

Fraser-Pryce had been quickest in reaching the final, winning her semi in 10.73 from Kambundji’s 10.96, while Thompson-Herah had clocked 10.76 in winning her race and Ta Lou and Jackson were both awarded 10.79 in the second contest. Prior to Tokyo, there had only been five times below 10.80 ever recorded at the Olympics.

The day had got off to a turbulent start as Asher-Smith failed to make the final, coming third with a time of 11.05 in the opening semi-final.

The British champion later revealed, however, that her below-par showing had been down to the hamstring tear she suffered in the process off winning the national title in Manchester last month and has opted to withdraw from the 200m. 

While there was despair for Asher-Smith, and her fellow Briton Asha Philip was also eliminated after coming eighth in the second semi with a time of 11.30, a run of 11.00 in the closing qualifier proved enough for Neita to progress.

While there had been delight at reaching the showpiece, however, Neita admitted to being less than happy with her finals performance.

“I’m so disappointed,” she said. “I’m not happy with that at all. That’s not what I came here to do.”