Jamaica’s sprint dreams at the Paris Olympics are taking a nosedive! First, Shericka Jackson had to withdraw from the 100-meter dash, sending shockwaves through the track and field world—she was a serious contender with a personal best of 10.65, tied for the fifth fastest ever. Then, just before the women’s 100-meter semifinals, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce bowed out due to a warm-up injury, leaving Jamaica without a single representative on the final women’s 100-meter Olympic podium for the first time since Seoul 1988.

With Fraser-Pryce and Jackson sidelined and Kishane Thompson falling short of gold in the men’s 100m, all eyes were on the women’s 200m for a glimmer of Jamaican hope. However, Shericka Jackson’s withdrawal from the 200 meters on August 5 left Jamaica’s sprint team facing another Olympic heartbreak of epic proportions. As the semifinals unfolded on the same day, her withdrawal from her signature event delivered yet another crushing blow to Jamaica’s historic run!

In a post on X, Michael Johnson shared a report by CITIUS MAG and wrote, “Jamaica has won a medal in the Women’s 200 every Olympics since 1976!!!! That’s a helluva run! “ Sadly, that run will end this year. However, this won’t be the case this year. The athletes who have qualified for the Paris Olympics women’s 200m finals include McKenzie Long from the United States, Jessika GBAI from Côte d’Ivoire, and Dina Asher-Smith from Great Britain.

Also making the final are Daryll Neita, also from Great Britain, Brittany Brown from the United States, and Gabrielle Thomas, another American competitor. The 100-meter Paris Olympic champion Julien Alfred from Saint Lucia and Favour Ofili from Nigeria round out the list of finalists.

Meanwhile, UTEP sprinter Niesha Burgher and Rush-Henrietta track star Lanae-Tava Thomas, representing Jamaica, couldn’t advance. Burgher finished fifth in her semi-final with a time of 22.64, and Thomas, with a time of 22.77, also missed the cut. For the first time since Montreal 1976, Jamaica won’t have a woman competing in the 200-meter final—a tough blow to their 48-year-old historic streak. So, who’s set to snag gold in the women’s 200m?

Is the road clear for Gabby Thomas to snag the 200-meter Olympic gold at Paris Olympics?

Sign up to Essentially Athletics

Join our 110K+ family of loyal track & field fans and don't miss out on the stories that that truly matter in the world of athletics.

Gabby Thomas, the top seed and 2021 Tokyo bronze medalist, made a bold statement with the fastest semi-final time of 21.86 seconds. The 27-year-old pulled away effortlessly in the last 50 meters, crossing the finish line with a smile. She leads the 2024 world standings with a sizzling 21.78. Her main rival is Julien Alfred, the 100-meter Paris gold medalist from Saint Lucia, who clocked 21.98 for the second-quickest time in the semis and sits 3rd in the standings with 21.86.

Nigeria’s Favour Ofili, who posted a seasonal best of 22.05 in her semi, also looks promising, ranking 7th globally in the 2024 world standings. Then there’s Brittany Brown, who topped her semifinal with 22.12 and holds 4th place in the world standings with 21.90. McKenzie Long, another strong contender from the USA, is right behind Gabby in the world rankings with 21.83. With these top athletes in the mix, the final is shaping up to be an epic showdown! Who will seize the crowning glory and claim gold on that purple track? Drop your predictions in the comments below!