Jamaican sprinters have only one challenge left. Breaking the world record of Florence Griffith Joyner’s 100m freestyle in 1988. The rest have already achieved this. In the first grand final of women’s athletics in Tokyo, three Caribbean women have climbed to the 100-meter freestyle podium. And Elaine Thompson has hung up the gold with the second fastest mark of all time (10.61), ahead of veteran Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (10.74 seconds) and Shericka Jackson (10.76).
Such is the dominance of the Jamaicans, that the finals have become fights between them, while the rest of the world watches them fly. Fraser-Pryce, champion in 2008 and 2012, was ready for a triumphant return at 34, after being a mother. She wanted to be the first woman to win the 100-meter gold three times and in fact, hers was the best mark of the season. But as happened in Rio de Janeiro, Thompson was faster, hanging his second consecutive gold. The Americans? Far from the podium. Gone are those days when the fastest women in the world raised the flag of the bars and stars to the top of the podium. In Japan, the only one who stood up was Mariee-José Ta Lou from Côte d’Ivoire.
Disciples of the legendary Merlene Ottey, the sprinter who won 9 Olympic medals but no gold from 1984 to 2000, have made the 100-meter finals not much different from the Jamaican national championships. As Merlene Ottey did, Thomson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce started running barefoot, barefoot. And when they were discovered, they ended up with millionaire contracts, training in the United States, but always coming home to break records in front of stadiums full of thousands of people that turn every race into a big party. If Fraser-Pryce escaped from those neighborhoods in Kingston where violence has become strong, Thomson comes from a rural area. From a traditional family with a father who didn’t want to let her compete. I didn’t want her to be an athlete. And now, of course, he pulls out his chest with his daughter, who always jokes that his first trainer was his grandmother, who sent him to buy without giving her a list of all the products. “I memorized them. And I was running really fast for two reasons: not to forget it and to go home to watch TV,” he says.
The final, without spectators but with a great show of presentation lights, was beautiful. Fraser-Pryce came out better than his rivals, but quickly Thompson’s stride made him unstoppable. As always, with flowers on his head. Fraser-Pryce, with one of her colorful hairstyles, just the way she likes it and the way she makes money with her hairdressing chain. Ritual gestures, to strengthen confidence, to feel better before playing the effort of four years, in this case five, in just over 10 seconds. As is often the case with Caribbean athletes, laughter during the presentation gives way to faces of few friends. The rivalry between Thomson and Fraser-Pryce is evident, in fact. And the winner is Jamaican sport. At 29, Thomson has four Olympic medals, three gold. Fraser-Pryce has seven, two gold.
Waiting to find out who will be the man capable of inheriting Usain Bolt’s crown in the men’s category, in the women’s category the Jamaicans are still dominating without a rival. When it comes to being fast, no one likes them. Of the last four finals of the 100 Olympic meters, they have won 10 of the 12 medals distributed. They have also won three of the last 200-meter finals. And they want more.
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