PARIS, France — Fuelled by their will and desire to succeed at the highest level, Jamaica’s history-making field events athletes Shanieka Ricketts and Rajindra Campbell were hell-bent on securing their first-ever medals at the Olympic Games on Saturday.

Ricketts produced an outstanding performance to win the silver medal in the women’s triple jump competition in front of a sell-out crowd at Stade de France. She leaped to a season’s best effort of 14.87m, securing Jamaica’s first-ever medal in this event at the Olympic Games. Thea LaFond of Dominica won the gold medal with a personal best and national record of 15.02m while American Jasmine Moore took third with a season’s best of 14.67m. Jamaica’s other competitor in the event, Ackelia Smith, finished seventh with a jump of 14.42m.

Ricketts, who finished fourth at the last Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, was ecstatic with her performance. “I am feeling great,” she said. “I feel this was the only medal that was missing from my collection — an Olympic medal — and to deliver, I am just happy with the result.

“The competition didn’t go exactly the way that I wanted it to but, nonetheless, I am happy that I was able to show up, get a season’s best, and finish on the podium, because that was the aim coming into the season.”

Ricketts says many doubted her ability to win a medal at the championships due to her inconsistent execution this season.

“I think coming into the championships, a lot of persons might have been concerned because I wasn’t getting the distance that I would have wanted to, but I think nothing else matters until you come here and compete,” she said.

On the other side of the field Campbell also made history when he won a bronze medal, becoming the first Jamaican man to do so in the shot put at the Olympic Games. Campbell, 28, secured his medal with a throw of 22.15m. Ryan Crouser of the USA won a historic third-straight Olympic title with a throw of 22.90m, his teammate Joe Kovacs finishing second with a throw of 21.71m.

“It is a great feeling to come here and win a medal because it goes to show that we’re not all about sprinting,” Campbell said. “We have athletes, and whichever event we put them in, they are going to excel. It is just hunger. I definitely believe that I can be amongst the greats; and right now the threshold is 23 metres and I believe that I can get there.”

The track and field world was in a state of shock on Saturday after two-time Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce pulled out of the semi-finals due to injury. Jamaica’s Team Manager Ludlow Watts later confirmed that Fraser-Pryce had picked up an injury during her warm-up and, as such, could not participate in the event. There are also doubts over her participation in the 4x100m relays for Jamaica.

In her absence Tia Clayton, who made it into the final, managed to secure seventh place, running 11.04 seconds in her first-ever senior championships. The event was won by St Lucia’s Julien Alfred in a personal best and national record time of 10.72 seconds. It is St Lucia’s first-ever Olympic medal. Alfred competed at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships for St Catherine High School. World champion Sha’Carri Richardson was second in 10.87 seconds, with her training partner Melissa Jefferson third in 10.92 seconds.