Thompson-Herah crowned sprint queen as Biles’s Olympics teeters

TOKYO: Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah equalled the second-fastest time in history to retain her women’s Olympic 100m title on Saturday as ongoing mental health problems left gymnastics superstar Simone Biles’s Tokyo campaign teetering on the brink.

Thompson-Herah blazed to an Olympic-record 10.61sec, well ahead of crestfallen two-time winner Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, with Shericka Jackson completing an all-Jamaican podium.

“I am really excited to come back and retain my title. My chest hurts, I am so happy,” said Thompson-Herah, whose time has only been bettered by world record holder Florence Griffith-Joyner.

Earlier, a raging Novak Djokovic smashed a racquet and hurled another into the empty stands as his tennis medal hopes went up in smoke. The Serb later revealed he had a shoulder injury.

And in the pool, US stars Caeleb Dressel and Katie Ledecky added to their gold medal collections, while Great Britain won the Olympics’ first mixed 4x100m medley relay.

Fraser-Pryce, the 2008 and 2012 champion, was attempting to become the first woman to win an individual athletics event three times but she floundered in Thompson-Herah’s wake.

A spectacular light show lit up the track in the Olympic Stadium, devoid of fans because of coronavirus risks, and Thompson-Herah then provided the fireworks, pulling away in the later stages.

Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare, who had won her 100m heat, was thrown out of the event for failing a drugs test — the first doping incident of the Games. Kenyan men’s 100m runner Mark Odhiambo was also suspended for testing positive for steroids.

Medals Table

Country Gold Silver Bronze Total

Country Gold Silver Bronze Total

China 21 13 12 46

Japan 17 5 8 30

United States 16 17 13 46

Russian Olympic Committee 11 15 11 37

Australia 10 3 14 27

Great Britain 8 9 11 28

South Korea 5 4 7 16

France 4 9 6 19

Netherlands 4 7 5 16

New Zealand 4 3 3 10

Germany 3 4 10 17

Canada 3 4 5 12

Switzerland 3 3 4 10

Czech Republic 3 3 1 7

Croatia 3 1 2 6

Italy 2 8 14 24

Taiwan 2 2 3 7

Hungary 2 2 2 6

Slovenia 2 1 1 4

Kosovo 2 0 0 2

Brazil 1 3 4 8

Georgia 1 3 1 5

Romania 1 3 0 4

Spain 1 2 2 5

Hong Kong 1 2 0 3

South Africa 1 2 0 3

Austria 1 1 3 5

Serbia 1 1 2 4

Jamaica 1 1 1 3

Norway 1 1 0 2

Poland 1 1 0 2

Slovakia 1 1 0 2

Sweden 1 1 0 2

Tunisia 1 1 0 2

Turkey 1 0 2 3

Estonia 1 0 1 2

Fiji 1 0 1 2

Ireland 1 0 1 2

Uzbekistan 1 0 1 2

Belarus 1 0 0 1

Bermuda 1 0 0 1

Ecuador 1 0 0 1

Ethiopia 1 0 0 1

Greece 1 0 0 1

Iran 1 0 0 1

Latvia 1 0 0 1

Philippines 1 0 0 1

Qatar 1 0 0 1

Thailand 1 0 0 1

Colombia 0 2 1 3

Dominican Republic 0 2 0 2

Venezuela 0 2 0 2

Indonesia 0 1 2 3

Mongolia 0 1 2 3

Belgium 0 1 1 2

Cuba 0 1 1 2

Denmark 0 1 1 2

San Marino 0 1 1 2

Uganda 0 1 1 2

Bulgaria 0 1 0 1

India 0 1 0 1

Jordan 0 1 0 1

North Macedonia 0 1 0 1

Turkmenistan 0 1 0 1

Ukraine 0 0 5 5

Kazakhstan 0 0 3 3

Egypt 0 0 2 2

Israel 0 0 2 2

Mexico 0 0 2 2

Argentina 0 0 1 1

Azerbaijan 0 0 1 1

Finland 0 0 1 1

Ivory Coast 0 0 1 1

Kuwait 0 0 1 1

Malaysia 0 0 1 1

Portugal 0 0 1 1