A swing and a miss? Well, make that a wide miss. After the sounds of ‘Set’ and ‘Shoot’ shattered the silence at the Stade de France, Noah Lyles’s girlfriend, Junelle Bromfield, was off to a quick start in the 400-m women’s semifinals. But midway, the momentum shifted. From lagging a little at the start, she went to being the sole runner who had fallen behind, eventually ending the race in 51.93 seconds. With that, her Paris Olympics stint came to a crushing end, forcing her to return empty-handed from the City of Lights.

Well, Bromfield had been dodging bullets for the past few days. Her relationship with Lyles, her 4x400m mixed relay upset, and now this—it seemed everything she did was being hammered by fans. However, she now has a group of supporters rallying behind her. Taking to X, a fan comments about being alarmed by the rancorous remarks about Bromfield. Especially those that have come from other women. Whereas, they also appreciate her for representing the Jamaican nation well. While another one chimes in with a stern demand to end the hate. They write, “The Junelle slander has to STOP! The comments are disgusting”

A few days back, Noah Lyles’ statement at the Track World News interview, “I have been getting the drama from Jamaican camps for at least five years now,” led to heavy backlash coming in for his girlfriend. The wrath of the online fans amidst the already fuming American-Jamaican track rivalry was hardly a pleasant sight. Some called her a traitor, while others blamed her for backstabbing her nation.

Only when the rage had lessened, Bromfield’s Paris campaign further disappointed a few. Dispirited by her relay performance one of the fans had opined, “they need to replace junelle.” But today, there was a swarm of supporters who attempted to shield her from the negative comments.

Tables turn, as Noah Lyles’ girlfriend gets defended by fans

Bromfield’s campaign had a decent start, with her 51.36s timing being good enough for a third spot in the heats round. Also, she ended in the top three, both the time she ran 400 meters at the Jamaican Trials in June. Which is perhaps why one of her fans believes in her potential to bounce back stronger. They write, “You will get them next time Junelle! You are made of stern stuff 💪” 

Indeed, Junelle’s skills need no emphasis. Having been the Tokyo bronze winner in 400m, she is well-versed with the pressure of the Olympic stage. However, today she faltered wide from that target. Thus, one of the fans suggested, “I feel so bad for Junelle omg 💔 I hope she’s okay and she stays off social media for a while or turn her comments off.” 

While another one pinpointed how it was particularly her from the Jamaican lot on the receiving end. “None of the other Jamaican women qualified for the 400m W Final, yet y’all still on Junelle🙄” Having made it through the heats, Jamaican sprinters Nickisha Pryce and Stacey-Ann Williams, bought got edged out in the semis too. Despite 50.77 and 50.79 on the clock, their finals hopes came to an unfortunate end.

One of them highlighted how Junelle’s Paris Olympics schedule was heavily stacked. She already ran through the heats and finals in the 4x400m mixed relay, followed by a round for her individual event. This meant today was her fourth run within a week. Thus, a fan chimed in saying, “Yea man Junelle ran out of legs. Dat was her 4th run at the Olympic. Big up fi the time and effort Mrs. Lyles”

There were a few who tried to shun the criticism she had been drawing for her personal life. She might be Noah Lyles’ girlfriend, but she runs for her nation. Thus, shutting out the naysayers, another one wrote, “The whole Jamaica is hating on her is a bit much. She’s running for us, not for Lyles. Try Junelle, thank you for doing your best and representing the country.” What do you think about this turn of the tide? Let us know below.