JOIN USElaine, the new queen of sprint
Move over Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Elaine Thompson is the new standard bearer in the fast lane for women.
From the older, slower Jamaican to the younger, faster Jamaican, the baton passed in smooth fashion at the Olympic Stadium on Saturday night.
In the final of the women’s 100 metres, Thompson put on show what she has been promising in recent times – a race of class with cutting edge sharpness at the finishing line.
Fraser-Pryce, champion in 2008 and 2012, was aiming to become the first to win a hat-trick of gold medals in one individual event at the Olympic Games, an attempt at which Tirunesh Dibaba and Valerie Adams had failed before her.
As we found out on day one, these Games aren’t easy on those eager to get into history books. Fraser-Pryce realised it the hard way on this day. She hasn’t been the pocket rocket this season due to a toe injury and that lack of sharpness was apparent in the second half of the final when Thompson pulled away decisively to win the gold in 10.71 seconds, the second quickest final in Olympic history behind Florence Griffith Joyner’s wind-aided 10.54 in 1988.
“I am really proud of this win,” said the 24-year-old Thompson. “I am from a small community and I am happy to represent them, I am sure they will be celebrating there.”
On a night when Mo Farah kept himself in line for another double after recovering from a fall to win the men’s 10000 metres in a typically spectacular sprint finish, Fraser-Pryce found out that age, one day, has to bow to youth in the sporting lane.
The 29-year-old got off to her customary fast start but Thompson was up on her and Bowie too followed. Thompson and Fraser-Pryce were almost on part nearing the half-way stage but the younger sprinter’s acceleration proved a bit too hot for the senior pro.
Thompson was winner by a comfortable margin and Bowie came up to clinch the silver while Fraser-Pryce faded to bronze position.
“I am happy that Elaine crossed the line first,” said Fraser-Pryce, her hair dyed in the colours of Jamaica. “I have seen her work hard and it was her time. 2008 was my time, 2016 is her time. I am happy that Jamaica gets to keep the gold medal. As for me, I am happy to stand on the podium, I knew how hard I worked, I knew the pain and sacrifices I made. I am happy I persevered.”
Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands, among the fancied runners, faded to fifth place in 10.90 seconds and will be looking to step it up in the 200M, her stronger event.
Farah’s golden moment arrived after he was forced to endure a Lasse Viren moment. The Finn had famously fallen in the 10000M final at the 1972 Munich Games before bouncing back to win the gold. On Saturday, Farah tumbled on to the track after being clipped by his training partner Galen Rupp of the United States half-way through. But he immediately got up and rejoined the bunch, tackling the Ethiopian and the Kenyan threat in brilliant fashion.
The Africans had tried several ways to defeat the Briton for some time and on this day, they took turns to lead the race. Kenyan Paul Tanui and Geoffrey Kamworor as well as Ethiopian Tamirat Tola and Yigrem Demelash led at several points but there was only one leader at the business end.
Farah took over with a little over two laps left, with Tanui and Tola on his heels. He was again ahead at the bell but Tanui made one last ditch attempt before he felt the full force of Farah’s finishing kick. Past the final bend, there was only one man in the gold medal hunt as the Briton surged away to finish in 27:05.11.
“I thought about all my hard work and that it could all be gone in a minute. I wasn’t ready to let it go. I was just thinking, ‘don’t panic, don’t panic, don’t panic’. I had promised my daughter that I was going to get a medal and I wasn’t going to let her down,” said Farah, who spent a touching moment with his daughter in his victory lap.
American Jeff Henderson nailed the men’s long jump gold by a centimetre from Luvo Manyonga of South Africa – 8.38 to 8.37 -- while Jessica Ennis-Hill’s reign in heptathlon was ended by Nafissatou Thiam of Belgium, who tallied 6810 points.
Results: Men: 10000M: Mo Farah (Great Britain) 27:05.11, 1; Paul Tanui (Kenya) 27:05.64, 2; Tamirat Tola (Ethiopia) 27:06.26, 3.
Long jump: Jeff Henderson (United States) 8.38 metres, 1; Luvo Manyonga (South Africa) 8.37, 2; Greg Rutherford (Great Britain) 8.29, 3.
Women: 100M: Elaine Thompson (Jamaica) 10.71 seconds, 1; Torie Bowie (United States) 10.80, 2; Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica) 10.83, 3.
Heptathlon: Nafissatou Thiam (Belgium) 6810 points, 1; Jessica Ennis-Hill (Great Britain) 6775, 2; Brianne Thiesen-Eaton (Canada) 6653, 3.