The Summer Olympics in Paris may have ended, but the athletic spirit hasn’t dipped one bit. And the ongoing Diamond League meets are a testament to that. After Lausanne, the recent DL stop was in Poland, courtesy of the Silesian stadium, where American sprinting phenoms like Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson remained absent from the 100- and 200-meter clashes. But a missed chance for one is an opportunity for another, right? And this time, it was the Jamaicans who made a phoenix-like resurgence after their Paris Olympic upset!
According to an X post showing the Silesia Diamond League results, the Jamaicans are back in full force. Just check out the final scoreboards! Tia Clayton, the 20-year-old rising star, snagged her first Diamond League win in the women’s 100m, clocking a personal best of 10.83s. With the absence of Jamaica’s ‘big three’—Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson, and Elaine Thompson-Herah—Clayton stepped up, making it to two finals in Paris (200m and the women’s 4x100m relay). But alas, no podium finishes there, ending Jamaica’s four-time Olympic streak.
Ackera Nugent, the Jamaican hurdler, also celebrated her first DL victory in the women’s 100m hurdles, breaking the meet record not once but twice! She posted a 12.30 in the heats and followed up with a blazing 12.29 in the finals. Fellow Jamaican Danielle Williams, a two-time World Athletics Champion, joined her on the podium, clocking in at 12.38 seconds for third place. Clearly, Jamaica’s young guns are in fiery form, hinting that the bar is about to be raised even higher.
Great day for Jamaica
at #SilesiaDL
Women’s 100m
1. Tia ClaytonWomen’s 100mH
1. Ackera Nugent
3. Danielle WilliamsWomen’s TJ
1. Shanieka RickettsMen’s 110mH
2. Rasheed BroadbellMen’s High Jump
2. Romaine BeckfordWomen’s 400mH
3. Rushell Clayton— ☈OMEKO
(@_romeko) August 25, 2024
Shanieka Ricketts also grabbed her first DL win with a 14.50m jump in the triple jump, a sweet redemption after her second-place finish in Paris. Meanwhile, Rasheed Broadbell, battling a groin injury, slipped from his Lausanne gold but held on to silver in the men’s 110m hurdles. Romaine Beckford shined in the high jump, also taking silver, while Rushell Clayton secured third in the women’s 400m hurdles with a time of 53.11s.
This performance was a massive upgrade from Paris, where Jamaica only managed six medals. Back then, the Americans had their moment in the spotlight, with Grant Holloway and Noah Lyles overshadowing Broadbell and Kishane Thompson. But now, with seven medals in Silesia, Jamaica is making a strong comeback. Yet, as the Jamaicans rise again, we have to ask—where are the American champions, Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson?
Noah Lyles and Sha’carri Richardson bid adieu for now
While Kenny Bednarek snagged a 200-meter bronze on August 25 in Silesia, Fred Kerley snatched gold in the 100m. But the spotlight was missing one major player—Noah Lyles. During an appearance on the Nightcap podcast, Lyles revealed that he’s officially calling it a season, skipping out on the remaining Diamond League races. This comes after he already sat out the Lausanne meet and the one in Poland.
Meanwhile, Sha’Carri Richardson just announced her season wrap-up too, dropping a boomerang on Instagram with the caption, “Last day out.” Despite a packed Diamond League schedule, the reigning 100-meter world champion has been MIA, giving Tia Clayton a chance to shine.
As for Jamaica, the Paris upset was a big one. Maurice Wilson, the technical director of Jamaica’s track and field team, didn’t mince words when he said, “We dominated them for about nine years, non-stop, and they started to do their homework … and since then they have continued to move forward. We need to go back to the drawing board.” But is it redemption time at the Diamond Leagues now? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!
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