PARIS, France —Rasheed Broadbell etched his name into the annals of Jamaican track and field history by becoming the fourth Jamaican ever to medal in the 110m hurdles at the Olympic Games.
Broadbell delivered a spectacular performance on Thursday evening at the Paris 2024 Games inside the iconic Stade de France, securing a bronze medal in a race that saw a nail-biting finish.
In a race that was fiercely contested, Broadbell clocked a season-best time of 13.09 seconds, a time matched by American hurdler Daniel Roberts, who was awarded the silver medal by the narrowest of margins. Roberts was just three-thousandths of a second faster than Broadbell, finishing in 13.09.085 seconds to Broadbell’s 13.09.088 seconds. The gold medal went to the overwhelming favorite, three-time World Champion Grant Holloway of the United States, who crossed the finish line in 12.99 seconds.
This bronze medal elevates Jamaica’s medal tally at the Paris Games to six, adding to the nation’s growing haul. Notably, Broadbell’s achievement complements the historic gold medal won by Roje Stona in the men’s discus, where he set an Olympic record. Other notable Jamaican medals include silver for Shanieka Ricketts in the women’s triple jump, Kishane Thompson in the men’s 100m, Wayne Pinnock in the men’s long jump, and Rajindra Campbell’s bronze in the men’s shot put.
Running in lane five, Broadbell did not have the best start but showed resilience and determination. After a cautious beginning, he steadied himself and delivered a powerful surge in the final moments of the race, edging out competitors to secure his place on the podium. Holloway’s bullet-like start gave him an early lead, and despite a slight fade towards the end, he held on to win comfortably.
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Anxious wait
The race ended in an anxious wait for Broadbell as the photo finish determined the medal placements. Eventually, Roberts’ name appeared first, followed by Broadbell’s, both recording the same time but with Roberts having the slight edge. Broadbell’s Jamaican teammates, Orlando Bennett and Hansle Parchment, who was defending his Olympic title, finished in seventh and eighth places with times of 13.34 and 13.39 seconds, respectively.
In other events, Jamaica’s performance in the women’s 400m hurdles final was less successful. As anticipated, American World Record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone dominated the race, setting a blistering pace to become the fastest ever at the distance with a time of 50.37 seconds. Her teammate Anna co*ckrell secured the silver medal with a personal best of 51.87 seconds, overtaking the Netherlands’ Femke Bol, who finished third in 52.15 seconds. Jamaica’s Rushell Clayton, who started strong, faded in the final stretch to place fifth in 52.68 seconds, while teammate Shiann Salmon finished sixth in 53.88 seconds.
The men’s 200m final saw another dramatic turn of events as Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo claimed victory with an African Record time of 19.46 seconds. American Kenneth Bednarek finished second in 19.62 seconds, while the much-favored Noah Lyles, who later tested positive for COVID-19, took the bronze in 19.70 seconds. Lyles, known for his exuberant pre-race antics, was cautioned with a yellow card for improper conduct after smashing the lane number signboard.
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In the women’s long jump final, Jamaica’s Ackelia Smith finished eighth with a leap of 6.66 meters, well below the winning jump of 7.10 meters by American Tara Davis-Woodhall. Germany’s Malaika Mihambo took silver with 6.98 meters, followed by Jasmine Moore of the US with 6.96 meters. Moore’s jump also earned her a bronze in the triple jump earlier in the competition with a season-best 14.67 meters.
During Thursday morning’s session, Jamaica’s women’s 4x100m relay team, consisting of Alana Reid, Kemba Nelson, Shashalee Forbes, and Tia Clayton, posted a season-best time of 42.35 seconds to secure third place in their semi-final heat, trailing Great Britain (42.03 seconds) and France (42.13 seconds). Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago’s relay team finished eighth in 43.99 seconds.
Disappointment for Jamaica’s men’s 4x100m relay team
However, there was disappointment for Jamaica’s men’s 4x100m relay team, which finished fourth in their semi-final despite a season-best time of 38.45 seconds. Poor execution by the team of Ackeem Blake, Jelani Walker, Jehlani Gordon, and Kishane Thompson cost them a place in the final, with China, France, and Canada finishing ahead.
In the men’s 800m repechage, Jamaica’s Navasky Anderson clocked 1:46.01 minutes, finishing fifth in his heat, but this time was not enough to advance to the semi-finals.
Jamaica narrowly missed out on a place in the women’s shot put final. Danniel Thomas-Dodd finished sixth in Group B with a throw of 18.12 meters, while Lloydricia Cameron set a season-best 18.02 meters, finishing eighth in Group A. Thomas-Dodd’s combined performance placed her 13th overall, just outside the final qualification spot, which was clinched by Sweden’s Axelina Kenzel with a throw of 18.16 meters.
Meanwhile, in the men’s javelin throw, Grenada’s Anderson Peters secured a bronze medal with a throw of 88.54 meters. The event was won by Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who set an Olympic Record with a throw of 92.97 meters. India’s Neeraj Chopra took silver with a season-best 89.45 meters, while Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott finished seventh with a season-best 86.16 meters.
