PARIS, France — There were a lot of mixed emotions coming from Rasheed Broadbell as he reflected on the hardships he endured before winning the bronze medal in the Olympic Games men’s 110m Hurdles at the Stade de France on Thursday.

Broadbell, who has been battling injuries all season, clocked a season’s best time of 13.09 seconds to secure the first Olympic medal of his career. The event was won by American Grant Holloway in 12.99, while his compatriot Daniel Roberts, who was credited with the same time as Broadbell, picked up the silver medal.

Broadbell admitted that he was in pain before the start of Thursday’s race, but that did not stop him from giving his best for his country.

“I was feeling some pains during the warm-up, and I was going to tape it, but I just said no, I am just going to come out here tonight, and whatever happens, happens. I have been having niggles all season, but I prayed before I came out here and asked God to hold up my body, and I think He did just that, and I am happy,” he said.

The 23-year-old, who won the gold medal in the event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, noted that his aim was to take top spot on Thursday. But while that didn’t happen, he is still grateful for the bronze.

“I am feeling really good, I am feeling really grateful. I have to thank God, because He has been in the midst of every single thing this season. It has been an up-and-down season for me, more downs, but tonight I got the up. Even though I wanted to be on the top podium, I can’t complain, given the season that I was having,” Broadbell said.

He emphasised that he was pleased with his execution of the race, particularly because he achieved a season’s best time. “I am up into form right now, and 13.09 tonight, I can’t complain. I feel like I executed the best that I could to get myself on the podium, and that was what I did,” he reasoned.

Jamaica’s other competitors in the race, Orlando Bennett and defending champion Hansle Parchment, finished seventh and eighth with times of 13.34 and 13.39, respectively.

Meanwhile, Rushell Clayton and Shiann Salmon, the country’s two representatives in the women’s 400m hurdles, failed to secure any medals in the final on Thursday.

Clayton, who was favoured to win a medal, finished fifth in 52.68, just ahead of Salmon, who was sixth in 53.29.

The event was won by American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who produced a world record-breaking 50.37 and becoming the first woman in history to win back-to-back Olympic 400m hurdles titles.

The 25-year-old blew away reigning world champion Femke Bol of the Netherlands to take gold comfortably. Anna Cockrell of the United States took silver in 51.87, while Bol finished third to claim bronze in 52.15.

Jamaica’s Ackelia Smith finished eighth in the women’s long jump final with a best mark of 6.66 metres. It was Smith’s second top-eight placing at the Games, after she finished seventh in the triple jump last weekend with 14.42 metres.

American Tara Davis-Woodhall won her first Olympic gold medal with a leap of 7.10, ahead of defending champion Malaika Mihambo of Germany, who jumped 6.98.