As the countdown continues to the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris, France, with the highly anticipated showdown in the women’s sprints, we look at Jamaican champions over the years in the 100m and 200 meters.
A Two-time Olympic Champion over 200m, VCB earned Jamaica’s first Olympic gold in the event following her sensational win at the 2004 Athens-hosted games.
Campbell-Brown, who also earned a bronze medal in the 100m following a stumble, responded with a personal record of 22.05 seconds in the half lap to claim the title before following up with a sizzling anchor leg for gold in the 4x100m.
The Olympic champion followed up her win with a successful title defence in 2008, with another personal best of 21.71 seconds for victory as part of the “gold rush” of Jamaican sprints at the “Bird’s Nest” in Beijing, China.
Nicknamed the “Pocket Rocket,” Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce verified that description throughout her career, starting at the “Gold Rush” in the 2008 Olympics in China following her stunning victory in the 100-metre final with a then pb 10.78s
Fraser Pryce’s win was not only part of a historic 1,2,2 finish by Jamaica with teammates Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart sharing silver, but also the country’s first win in the event at the games, signalling the start of the island’s dominance in female sprinting.
Similar to Campbell-Brown’s feat before her, Fraser-Pryce went back in 2012 when she crossed in 10.75 seconds to retain her title in London.
Super sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah ensured the tradition of dominance was preserved over two Olympics; the second-fastest woman in history over the 100m and claimed gold over both distances in an undisputed run of title defence.
Thompson-Herah logged 10.71 seconds in the 100m in 2012 before posting an Olympic record of 10.61 four years later in Rio, Brazil.
In the 200m, she posted a world lead of 21.78 seconds for gold in London before following up with a national record of 21.53 seconds in Brazil.
