TOKYO – Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn won her 100 metre hurdles semi-final in an Olympic record 12.26 seconds at Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium.
The 24-year-old improved her own 2021 leading time at the fan-free venue.
Jamaican Britany Anderson won her semi-final ahead of American world record holder Kendra Harrison in 12.51.
Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan, who finished fourth at the 2019 world championships, won her semi-final in 12.62.
The US swept the podium in Rio five years ago.
Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela jumped 15.67 metres to smash the world record in the women’s triple jump with her final attempt, having already secured the gold medal, Reuters reported.
The previous record of 15.50m was set by Ukraine’s Inessa Kravets in 1995 in Sweden.
“I was looking for it, I knew we had that distance in my legs to get it today. I was failing a bit in the technical aspect but the last jump was one to give everything, and it was like that,” she said.
“I focused on giving my best, enjoying, and it came out.”
The win made Rojas Venezuela’s first woman Olympic champion.
Patricia Mamona of Portugal won silver with 15.01m, a national record.
The bronze went to Spain’s Ana Peleteiro, who also broke the national record with 14.87.
Lamont Marcell Jacobs won the most coveted crown in athletics, giving Italy its first 100 metres gold on a night of high drama in Tokyo.
Jacobs’ European record 9.80 second run ended Fred Kerley’s bid to become the first American winner since Justin Gatlin in 2004. Kerley took silver in a personal best 9.84, while Canada’s Andre de Grasse 9.89 earned him a bronze.
“I’ve won an Olympic gold after Bolt, it’s unbelievable,” said the sprinter, who was born in the United States but moved to Europe with his Italian mother when he was a month old.
Gianmarco Tamberi made it double gold for Italy with an emotional, and unusual, high jump victory.
The 29-year-old shared the gold with Qatar’s world champion Mutaz Essa Barshim.
Tamberi, who broke his ankle days before the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016, hugged everyone he could find on the track. Draped in an Italian flag, he was also the first to embrace Jacobs after his 100m win.
“This is a bit of history that will stay with me forever. I will tell my kids, if I have them. I will never sleep again,” he said.
Italy ended the day in the top 10 of the Olympics medal tally with four golds. China was on top with 24 golds, the United States second with 20. Japan was third with 17 and Australia fourth with 14.
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