The Paris Olympics is the tale of the underdogs. On one hand, 23-year-old Julien Alfred’s show-stopping win stopped spectators and 180,854 people—watching back at home—dead in their tracks. On the other, another noble story was rearing its head merely two lanes away from the victor.

After Jamaican sprinting bigwigs Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson and Elaine Thompson-Herah, pulled out of the 100m event, 19-year-old Tia Clayton had to bear the baton in the long-standing rivalry with the USA. She may have gained a few detractors from her final performance finishing seventh, but she also won over fans like Sha’Carri Richardson.

The silver medalist from last night displayed her utmost respect for the teenager, which led her to re-share an Instagram story, writing, “Tia Clayton, to be the youngest & the only one representing a country is an achievement in itself & congratulation.” This is not the first time Richardson has openly embraced her rival country, though.

Earlier in May this year, the 24-year-old athlete had visited the Jamaica Athletics Invitational in Kingston, the country’s capital. The heartwarming gesture garnered appreciation from fans, with some even calling considering her an ally and “sister”.

As for Clayton, before coming to the Paris Olympics, her most notable achievement had been her double victories in the World U20 Championships. Eventually, her grit to rise above her height brought her the greatest show on earth. In the Jamaican trials, she ran neck-to-neck with Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who have multiple Olympic and world championship titles in their bags.

Notably, Thompson-Herah had announced in late June she’d have to miss Paris owing to an Achilles tendon injury. Jackson, on the other hand, first withdrew from the 100m event to “protect her body” for the upcoming 200 m event. Ironically, she pulled out of that later. Three time Olympic gold medalist Fraser-Pryce was also amiss at the finals owing to an undisclosed injury.

As for Clayton, she slowly rose through the ranks in the Stade de France. While she won the semi-final heat with a time of 10.89s, entering the top three in the finals felt to be way above her as she ended her race in 11.04 seconds, as opposed to Alfred’s 10.72s and Richardson’s 10.87s. “Well, I feel very great I just come out here and do my best not what I wanted but I’m grateful how could you have run it better,” the Jamaican athlete said in a post-race interview. “Thank you and continue to support me,” she further said, almost indicating she isn’t done yet.

However, her finish is least reflective of the emotion back at home.

Tia Clayton put her small town on the map

Grange Hill, Crowder, Clayton’s hometown—a small settlement of barely 10,000 residents—was beaming with pride. On Saturday, the community came together to organize a watch party for the young athlete’s family, friends and well-wishers. Sporting shirts bearing her face, hoards of people cheered on.

For members of the locality, Tia was already a star. For them, representation was far more precious for a place hardly heard of. Crowder Evangelical Methodist Church’s pastor Dalbert Tomlinson said, “This is not a disappointment. It is an experience from which she is going to learn, and others would have been there. If you were to speak to them, they will tell you they have learned from an experience.”

As for mother, Tishana Pinnock-Williams, she hoped for more: “I was expecting a medal, but I am still proud. She is just 19, and just started at the senior level … I am so proud of her.”

She also opined Tia may have lost her focus initially in the race, but was proud nevertheless. “Tia, you have done your best, and you know mummy loves you. I hope you do better next time because you always want to make mummy proud.” Perhaps, Tishana’s statement is a reminder of the intense pressure Jamaican athletes face, especially to outrun their American rivals.

Who does not remember the post-match scene in the backdrop of the 2021 Prefontaine Classic when the last place finish made her say, “Congratulations to the people that won. But they’re not done seeing me yet, period.” The Jamaican trio Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Elaine Thompson-Herah, and Shericka Jackson had crossed her smirking and gossiping. The 1990s witnessed almost the same pictures.

Athletes like Merlene Ottey, Gwen Torrence, and Gail Devers used to turn the limelight toward them. In the 1996 Olympics, both Merlene Ottey and Gail Devers clocked the same (10.94 seconds). But a fraction of a second difference made the American podium finisher. This incident increased the tension between the USA and Jamaica. Even in one of the interviews, Merlene stood determined not to talk about her other American rival: “I don’t care about Gwen Torrence, and I’m not going to talk about her.” But now things seem like they have crossed a huge distance and for positive reasons.