Lamont Jacobs wins 100m gold in 9.80 seconds in Tokyo Olympics

Italy's Jacobs completed a sensational evening in the Tokyo Olympics as he clinched the 100-metre gold in the showpiece final on Sunday.

Published : Aug 01, 2021 18:26 IST

Lamont Marcell Jacobs broke the European record in the 100m final to clinch the gold in 9.80 seconds on Sunday.
Lamont Marcell Jacobs broke the European record in the 100m final to clinch the gold in 9.80 seconds on Sunday.
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Lamont Marcell Jacobs broke the European record in the 100m final to clinch the gold in 9.80 seconds on Sunday.

It was a magical Sunday night in Tokyo as Lamont Marcell Jacobs virtually came from nowhere and raced away as the fastest man of the Olympics.

With American world leader Trayvon Bromell crashing out in the semifinal and China's Su Bingian topping that round in a new Asian record time of 9.83s, many had expected surprises in the final.

Still, none expected Jacobs to come good, for he had never won any major 100m title earlier. The race was anybody's till about 70m, and the 26-year-old American-born Italian made his move after that to stunningly take the gold in a European record time of 9.80s with American Fred Kerley (9.84) and Canadian Andre de Grasse (9.89) picking silver and bronze. Jacobs became the first Italian to take the 100m title, and it was a personal best for all three.

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It was certainly a dramatic day and a wonderful Italian night, for the men's high jump produced two gold medallists after Gianmarco Tamberi and Qatar's Mutaz Essa Barshim finished level at 2.37m, clearing all their earlier heights in their first attempt. They had both failed at 2.39. They were given two options: a jump-off or to share the gold, and they decided to go for the latter.

Tamberi shed tears of joy for he had missed the 2016 Olympics with an injury, he was in crutches around that time, and he brought the cast that held his leg together then to the Tokyo track, just to remind the world what he had been through. Barshim was in tears too, it was the World champion's first gold after silver in Rio and London 2012.

A few minutes before that, Venezuala's Yulimar Rojas was screaming in delight after breaking Inessa Kravet's 26-year-old women's triple jump World record with 15.67m (old 15.50) in her last effort. She had broken the Olympic record with her first jump, a 15.41. Portugal's Patricia Mamona (15.01) and Spain's Ana Peleteiro (14.87) took the silver and bronze.

Earlier China’s Gong Lijiao, who had won silver and bronze earlier, completed her Olympic medal set in women’s shot put with a personal-best 20.58m. All her five legal throws were better than American silver medallist Raven Saunders' efforts (19.79).

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