TOKYO, Japan – Doom and gloom quickly replaced the euphoria which Jamaica experienced on Saturday night, as day three of the athletics segment of the ongoing 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games closed here a short while ago. 

The excitement was still high when Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson, who swept the podium places in the women’s 100m final Saturday night, accepted their medals in a ceremony at the beginning of the evening session. 

It provided the rare sight of three Jamaican flags being raised simultaneously during the National Anthem. However, misfortune reared its ugly head when two athletes crashed out in the hurdles events, and Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts narrowly missed a bronze medal in the closing stages of the women’s triple jump. 

Disaster struck early when Yanique Thompson, running out of lane six in semi-final one, hit the fifth hurdle, lost her rhythm while clearing the sixth hurdle before crashing to the ground at the seventh barrier. 

She was helped to her feet by a competitor and left the track in tears. 

Compatriot Britany Anderson brought some relief and joy as she sped to a massive personal best 12.40 seconds running from lane four in semi-final two. 

She defeated the world record holder, American Kendra Harrison (12.51secs) to record the second fastest time in the world up to that point this year, until race favourite, Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn set a new Olympic record of 12.26secs. 

Jamaica’s National champion Megan Tapper then finished second in 12.62secs, to join Anderson in Monday morning’s final. 

Kemar Mowatt (fifth in semi-final one) and Shawn Rowe (sixth in semi-final two) were outclassed in their respective heats running blindly from lane nine, and when Hyde appeared set to break that trend, leading the field into the homestretch, he hit the eighth hurdle, stumbled and lost his balance to crash to the track in disbelief. 

He picked himself up and jogged across the line in 1:27.38 minutes. 

World number two ranked Shanieka Ricketts (14.84m) was denied a bronze medal in the women’s triple jump by Spain’s Ana Peleteiro (14.87m) in an event which saw favourite, Venezuela’s two-time World Champion, Yulimar Rojas, produce a gigantic effort to smash the world record with a final leap of 15.67m. 

Rojas had earlier set a new Olympic record with 15.41 on her first attempt. 

Kimberly Williams qualified on her third attempt (14.51m) to make the final eight, but ended up eighth overall. 

Jamaica, primarily through Usain Bolt, has dominated the men’s 100 metres since 2008 but neither Yohan Blake nor Oblique Seville progressed from the semi-finals. 

Running from lane five Blake finished in sixth place in 10.14secs, while Oblique ran 10.09secs for fourth place, running from lane four in semi-final two.  

In the morning session, Nathon Allen (46.12secs) failed to progress from the first round of the men’s 400m, but Christopher Taylor qualified automatically when he finished third in heat three in 45.20secs, and Demish Gaye was fourth in heat one in 45.49secs to advance as one of the fastest losers. 

Chanice Porter was 13

^th

 with 6.22 metres in the women’s long jump qualifying Group A, and Tissana Hickling was 12

^th

 in Group B with 6.19 metres. Both failed to progress.  

Ian Burnett