PARIS, CMC – In a shocking turn, perennial relay powerhouse Jamaica was eliminated in the semifinal round of the men’s 4×100 meters relay at the Paris Olympics on Thursday.
The 100m silver medalist Kishane Thompson, Jehlani Gordon, Ackeem Blake, and Jelani Walker finished fourth in Heat 2 in a season’s best 38.45 seconds, to miss out on a spot in the final by .06 of a second.
The Jamaicans suffered from two poor baton changes during the last two handovers, and despite Thompson’s efforts to make up the ground on the final leg, he fell just short.
China won the heat in 38.24 seconds, France second in 38.34, and Canada third in 34.39 seconds.
Favorites, the United States of America, romped to victory in Heat 1 in 37.47 seconds, well ahead of South Africa (37.94) and Great Britain (38.04), who finished second and third, respectively, to advance to the final.
Jamaica’s female team of Alana Reid, Kemba Nelson, Shashalee Forbes, and Tia Clayton fared better than their male counterparts, finishing third in Heat 2 in 42.35 to automatically qualify for the final of the women’s 4×100 meters relay as the sixth fastest.
Trinidad and Tobago’s team of Akilah Lewis, Sole Frederick, Sanaa Frederick, and Leah Bertrand did not advance after finishing eighth in the same heat in 43.99 seconds.
That heat was won by Great Britain in 42.03, with France second in 42.13 seconds.
USA’s women were also dominant in Heat 1, winning comfortably in 41.94 seconds, relegating Germany (41.25) and Switzerland (42.38) to second and third, respectively.
Elsewhere, it was a tough morning for Caribbean athletes.
Jamaicans Lloydricia Cameron (18.02 meters) and Daniel Thomas-D0dd (18.12 meters), along with Trinidad and Tobago’s Portious Warren (17.22 meters), all failed to advance past the qualifying rounds of the women’s shot put.
Emelia Chatfield of Haiti and Denisha Cartwright of the Bahamas also did not qualify for the women’s 100-metre hurdles Repechage round, posting times of 13.24 and 13.45, respectively.
Meanwhile, in the men’s 800 meters Repechage round, Dennick Luke of Dominica, Handal Roban of St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Jamaica’s Navasky Anderson all failed to qualify for the semifinals.
Luke set a national record of 1:46.81 to finish sixth in Heat 1, Roban was fourth in Heat 2 in 1:45.80, and Anderson was fifth in 1:46.01.
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