First athletics gold for Puerto Rico; Tentoglou wins in final jump

Agencies | Tokyo

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Puerto Rico's Jasmine Camacho-Quinn has become the country's first Olympic champion in athletics, claiming gold in the 100m hurdles in Tokyo on Monday.

Less than 24 hours before taking to the starting line in the finals, Camacho-Quinn set the Olympic record of 12.26 seconds in qualifying, just six hundredth shy of the world record.

She couldn't do better in the finals but ran clear by the sixth hurdle and was sprinting home in 12.37.

American world record holder Kendra Harrison won silver with 12.52, while Jamaican Megan Tapper took bronze with a time of 12.55.

"I was really running for the world record. I hit the hurdle, but everything happens for a reason. I came through with the gold," Camacho Quinn said, according to Deutsche press agency (dpa).

Her success was the second-ever gold for Puerto Rico following Monica Puig's surprise 2016 tennis gold.

"For such a small country it gives little people hope. I am just glad I am the person to do that. I am really happy right," she said.

Greece's Miltiadis Tentoglou won long jump gold on countback with his final attempt, Dutch star Sifan Hassan advanced from the 1,500m heats despite a fall while 100m bronze medalist Shericka Jackson of Jamaica shockingly crashed out in the 200m heats after easing up too early.

Tentoglou saved his best effort for last, recording 8.41m in his final attempt. Cuban rival Juan Miguel Echevarria also had 8.41 but lost out on countback with Tentoglu's second-best jump 8.15m and Echevarria's 8.09m

Echevarria pulled out of his final jump with an injury while fellow Cuban Maykel Masso took bronze with 8.21m.

"What an incredible competition. What an incredible jump, the last jump. I wasn't able to get it right at the start. But in the end, I managed to pull something out to get the medal," the winner said.

"I managed to jump 8.41m and it was enough. I am very lucky."

American JuVaughn Harrison finished fifth less than 24 hours after finishing 7th in the high jump.

World champion Tajay Gayle of Jamaica failed to make the initial cut, registering only one jump at 7.69m. Gayle injured himself during qualifications and participated in the finals with a heavily strapped left knee.

Earlier in the session, Hassan had a big scare when she tripped over Kenyan Edinah Jebitok with 400m left. With 300m to go, Hassan was 11th but a surge of power pushed her to the front of the pack, crossing the line first in her heat in 4 minutes 5.17 seconds.

The 1,500m and 10,000m world champion is attempting an unprecedented Olympic treble, also running the 5,000m with the final set for later Monday.

The 1,500m semi-finals are on Wednesday, the final is Friday, and the 10,000m final the next day completes her daunting programme in hot and humid Tokyo.

In the 200m heats, Jackson failed to make the cut after her shocking mistake but compatriots Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce breezed into the semi-finals.

Thompson-Herah is attempting a second Olympic sprint double after beating Fraser-Pryce for 100m gold.

Namibia's Christine Mbomba was the fastest qualifier, setting a new world under-20 record time of 22.11.