Jamaican Sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah Breaks Flo- Jo’s Olympic Record at the Ongoing Tokyo Games

Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah

via https://yourblackworld.net/ – By Ryan Steal – Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah beat Florence Griffith Joyner’s women’s 100 meters record that Joyner had held for the past 33 years.

Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Thompson-Herah’s opponent, took silver in the event with a time of 10.74 seconds. With a timing of 10.76, Shericka Jackson, another Jamaican, claimed bronze.

Jamaica has produced some of the best track athletes in Olympic history, with Usain Bolt still holding the world record for the fastest man. Andrew Holness, the country’s prime minister, praised the victories in a series of tweets on Saturday.

“Proud cya done! #TeamJamaica 1,2,3. Congratulations to our women for a scintillating finals. Let’s continue to make history!” he remarked.

After winning gold at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Thompson-Herah now has two Olympic titles in the women’s 100 meters.

Griffith Joyner, famous for her long nails and colorful clothing, still retains the world record in the women’s 100 meters, though.

The 10.49 seconds record was set on a windy day in Indianapolis during the first race of the Olympic trials quarterfinals, but authorities ruled it valid. Some have questioned the authenticity of the records over the years. Al Joyner, her husband at the time, told The Associated Press that he’s unconcerned about the critics.

“I try to rise above it and do what [Florence] would do — she always tried to rise above it. She was always classy,” he stated.

In the women’s 200 meters, Griffith Joyner has the world record of 21.34 seconds.

In 1998, she died in her sleep due to an epileptic attack. She was 38 years old at the time. Al Joyner told The AP that his late wife would’ve wanted someone to beat her time before Thompson-Herah’s record-breaking performance.

“I remember she once told me, ‘I never want anybody to be like me. I want them to make bigger footsteps than me,’” Al Joyner said. “That was always her dream.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/olympics/jamaican-sprinter-elaine-thompson-herah-breaks-flo-jo-s-olympic-n1275591

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