Elaine Thompson-Herah is undoubtedly generational and has cemented her status as the fastest woman on earth in recent times. The Olympic gold in the women?s 100m and 200m sprints more or less reaffirmed that status. However, that epode to be just a step along the way for her after the events of the Nike Prefontaine Classic 2021.?
Competing against her fellow Jamaicans and other athletes, many of whom were Olympians, Thompson-Herah blew through the air to clock an insane timing of 10.54 seconds to win the race. This timing is the second-fastest in women?s running history, coming only after Florence Griffith Joyner?s world record of 10.49 seconds.?
10.54!! Elaine Thompson-Herah takes the win in the women’s 100 meters! Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce second in 10.73 and Shericka Jackson third in 10.76 as Jamaica sweeps the women’s 100m podium at the #PreClassic 🇯🇲 🇯🇲 🇯🇲
Sha’Carri Richardson finishes last in 9th in 11.14 pic.twitter.com/88xvyqx3XH
— Chris Chavez (@ChrisChavez) August 21, 2021
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As the months go by, the Jamaican is chipping closer and closer to the track legend who was once considered untouchable. Thompson-Herah first broke FloJo?s Olympic record of 10.62 seconds, bettering it by 0.01 seconds. That record had stood for over thirty years.?
Now, she has edged closer than ever to the impossible world record in the 100m, that she may well topple in her next attempts. Driven and motivated by the circumstances, Elaine is cementing her legacy as the fastest Jamaican, and possibly soon woman, of all time.?
🤯@FastElaine clocks 10.54 in the women's 100m!
A #EugeneDL meeting record and the 2nd fastest time of all time.#DiamondLeague
📷 @matthewquine pic.twitter.com/36Iqlbp26Z— Wanda Diamond League (@Diamond_League) August 21, 2021
Elaine Thompson-Herah was the clear winner of the race
Elaine Thompson-Herah was the clear winner in the race and was a whole 0.19 seconds ahead of the silver medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who finished at 10.73 seconds followed by Shericka Jackson at 10.76 seconds.?
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This was the same podium structure as the Tokyo Games when all three Jamaican women claimed medals in the race. Elaine is now clear of her Jamaican rival Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who was also aiming for gold in Tokyo.?
However, the biggest plotline of the day led to Sha?Carri Richardson. The American athlete was expected to redeem herself after being dropped from the Olympics due to a positive marijuana test. Surprisingly, she finished last in the race in what was a disappointing performance for her standards.?
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Richardson had won the race in the Olympic trials with a timing of 10.72 seconds and wanted to prove herself against the Olympians. In the end, all cards fell on the table the same way, and the Jamaican wave proved inevitable.?