Thea LaFond made history for her Caribbean island nation of Dominica by winning gold in the triple jump on Saturday to claim the country’s first ever Olympic medal.
Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts took silver and American Jasmine Moore claimed bronze.
LaFond made herself the woman to beat with her second attempt of 15.02 metres - a world best this year - and that proved impossible to better, with rain also making conditions more treacherous.
The whole country had been holding its breath hoping she would win a medal, LaFond, 30, told Reuters ahead of the final. Having delivered that and more, she celebrated wildly in the Stade de France, draped in the Dominican flag.
LaFond’s victory capped a good night for the Caribbean, with St Lucia also winning its first ever medal thanks to Julien Alfred storming to 100 metres gold ahead of American Sha’Carri Richardson.
The triple jump was made more unpredictable as Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas, world record holder and Tokyo gold medallist, missed the Games due to an Achilles tendon injury.
Ricketts, who just missed out on the podium at the Tokyo Olympics, jumped her season’s best of 14.87 metres to win silver, and Moore came third with 14.67.
Moore, 23, the first woman to make the U.S. Olympic team in both triple jump and long jump, is set to compete in the latter event on Tuesday.
Bronze medallist in Tokyo, Spain’s Ana Peleteiro-Compaore (14.59) was visibly upset with her performance, unable to match LaFond’s jump and finishing sixth.
World number one Leyanis Perez Hernandez of Cuba came fifth with a jump of 14.62 metres.
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