The air was crackling with anticipation for the women’s 100m semi-finals, as 75,000 at the Stade de France waited with bated breath to watch their favorites in action. And the Jamaican hopes were pinned on Tia Clayton, a 19-year-old. And boy, did she match up to the expectations! The 2-time world U20 champion ran a blazing 10.89 in the semi-final 3 to finish first in her heat, surpassing Daryll Neita and Terry Twanisha on the board.

Well, the Jamaican camp had sustained massive jolts in the 100m category. Tokyo medalists Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce remained absent from the event. But even in such deep waters, the Jamaican wunderkind stepped up to save the day and put on a great show. Notably, among the two Jamaicans entering the semi-finals, Shashalee Forbes and Tia Clayton, only the latter made it to the final rounds. And she did so, being the third fastest, tied with Sha’Carri Richardson at 10.89 seconds. Therefore, it’s safe to say that Clayton is the bearer of all Jamaican medal hopes in this category currently.x

But are Clayton’s shoulders sturdy enough to carry the lofty Jamaican hopes? Well, certainly. She might have stepped into big events recently, but she has a strong career record backing her up. In 2018 and 2019, she exited the U18 National Championships as the 100m gold winner. Entering the World U20 Championships, she featured in the 4x100m relay quartets, contributing to the two more golds on her rack. However, she garnered global limelight when she outpaced veterans Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce at the 2024 Jamaican Trials. Interestingly, her personal best was 10.86 in the earlier rounds of the same event.

And now, for the first time since 1966, Jamaica is going to see just one challenger in the Olympic 100m finals. And that would be Clayton. But why did this situation arise? What about the two Jamaican pillars who took silver and bronze behind Elaine Thompson-Herah in Tokyo?

Tia Clayton stands strong in the field as her contemporaries sway

Well, before the 100m semi-finals, footage circulated on the internet that had the hopes of Jamaica’s crumbling like a sandcastle. As per it, Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce was trying to get through to the warm-up zone allotted to her. However, the security guards at the gate barred her from entering. Asking her to go through a different gate, they directed her to make a go-around. Post her being denied entry to the warmup track, she did not appear in the semis and had a ‘DNS‘ status tagged to her name. Well, this was the last thing Jamaican stars wanted to see.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s toppled fate came in at a time when fans were already coping with the first heartbreak. Not even a week before, Shericka Jackson, another star contender, had withdrawn from the event. Jamaica’s track and field manager, Ludlow Watts, pierced fans’ hearts as he announced, “She has given up her place in the 100 meters… All the information that we can provide is she not going to participate in the 100 meters,” as per Reuters. But the question is, is there light at the end of the tunnel for Jamaicans? Can Tia Clayton sweep in and save the day in the finals? Or will the Olympic title be up for grabs this time? Let us know what you think.