Ashleigh Rollins - 100m
Meet Ashleigh Rollins, a rugby mad teen who already writes her own blog. She is passionate about girls’ and women’s sports. For the Olympics, she’s going to be reporting on athletics.
Tokyo 2020 – The Women’s 100m Sprint!
After a year of waiting, the Olympics commenced on the 23rd July 2021. The opening ceremony was magical; Naomi Osaka lighting the Olympic cauldron to kickstart the games after a beautiful torch relay by the keyworker community to students of local schools.
Naomi Osaka preparing to light the Olympic cauldron
Credit: Dylan Martinez – Getty Images
The event I was most excited for, the women’s 100m sprints, started 30th of July - this was an anticipated event and boy they did not disappoint!
Going into the tournament, Sha’carri Richardson, a 21-year-old American athlete was favourite to take home gold in Tokyo after a 10.72s sprint for her fastest in the season, but her hopes were crushed when she failed a drug test due to marijuana in her system. Richardson is the 6th fastest woman ever, no one saw it coming when she was banned from competing in Tokyo. Nevertheless, she will be back stronger for Paris in 2024.
Shi’carri Richardson
Image Credit: Michal Čížek/AFP/Getty Images
With 55 competitors in the heats of this event, the atmosphere was tense as only 24 continued to the semi-finals. The heats were separated into 7 sections: only the top 3 from each race and the top 3 fastest runners out of group who didn’t qualify by placing 1st, 2nd or 3rd in their race could continue.
Heat one saw Teahna Daniels of the USA taking 1st with a respectable time of 11.04s, GB’s poster girl Dina Asher-Smith claiming second with 11.07s and Murielle Ahoure, the Ivorian international stealing third place with 11.16s.
Heat two saw two athletes run under 11 seconds, a difficult task for many female sprinters. In first was Elaine Thompson-Herah, the Jamaican sprinter, with 10.82s, 0.09s slower than her seasonal best. Second place saw the Swiss athlete Mujinga Kambundji run a 10.95, and in third Tatjana Pinto running an 11.16.
The third heat had Germany’s Alexandra Burghardt run 100m in 11.08s, America’s Javianne Oliver with 11.15s and the Italian Anna Bongiorni with 11.35s.
Into the semis were Marie-Josee Ta Lou, the Ivorian sprinter, with 10.78s, a British athlete, Daryll Neita with an impressive time of 10.96s and Canadian Crystal Emmanuel with 11.18s.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce took 1st in heat five with an admirable 10.78s 100m. A second Swiss was into the semi-finals when Ajia Del Ponte ran 10.91s and lastly Nzubechi Grace Nwokocha for Nigeria, who ran exactly 11s.
In the penultimate heat, Blessing Okagbare sprinted into the semi-final with 11.05s, Great Britain’s Asha Philip with 11.31s, and the Bahamian, Tynia Gaither with 11.34s.
Okagbare was ruled out of the semi-finals due to use of human growth hormones. Blessing is a former 100&200m commonwealth champion and a medal contender but she will receive a ban.
BLESSING OKAGBARE - Image Credit: Phil Noble/Reuters
The last heat had Michelle-Lee Ahye of TaT running 11.06s, Shericka Jackson with an 11.07 sprint and USA’s Jenna Prandini claiming that third place with 11.11s.
A further three athletes progressed– Khamica Bingham of Canada, 11.21s, Ge Manqi of China, 11.20s and Gina Bass of Gambia, 11.12s. These were the top three runners outside of initial qualification for the semi-finals.
The first semi-final saw Thompson-Herah eclipse her previous run with a 10.76s sprint and Del Ponte swiping second with an impressive 11.01s run, making her a finalist. Asher-Smith was not performing to her best, which was due to a hamstring injury that was publicised after. She has pulled out of the 200m for her own benefit.
Dina Asher-Smith, pictured after her semi-final
Image Credit: Diego Azubel/EPA
Semi-final two had both Ta Lou (CIV) and Jackson (USA) run a 10.79s, meaning both were finalists. The last semi-final saw one of the favourites to take gold Fraser-Pryce, run an inspiring 10.73s to take top qualifier going into the ultimate round. Also qualifying, the Swiss, Kambundji with 10.96s.
The top two quickest runners who did not qualify by placing in the first or second spot in the semi’s would also go through: Daniels of the USA with 10.98 seconds, and Neita of GB, who progressed after running 11s precisely, equalling Ahye’s time – meaning they had to use the 1000th second. Neita won by 1/1000th of a second – crazy, right?
Daryll Neita finding out she’s made the Olympic 100m final
Image Credit: BBC
With 3 Jamaicans, 2 Swiss, 1 USA, 1 Ivorian and 1 Brit in the final, it was all to play for and all they needed to do now was be the quickest. Neita of team GB finished the competition with an 11.12s time, taking 8th place. The American sprinter, Daniels, ran 11.02. In the 6th and 5th positions were the Swiss couplet who ran 10.99 and 10.97, with Del Ponte having the upper hand. From the Ivory Coast, Ta Lou ran an exceptional 10.91, but not quick enough for a medal.
Onto the medals. Jackson of Jamaica took bronze with an admirable 10.76s race. Fraser-Pryce, also Jamaican, ran the 100m in 10.74s, taking silver medal. The gold medal went to Thompson-Herah of Jamaica who ran a breath-taking sprint, and finished with a new Olympic record – 10.61 seconds.
The three Jamaican medal winners celebrating their victory
Image Credit: Petr David Josek/AP
Thompson-Herah is now the fastest woman alive and is the second fastest woman ever – something not many can say. Not only did she break a 33-year-old record but she also created a new personal best at the highest stage in world athletics – congratulations to Elaine!
Elaine Thompson-Herah celebrating her gold medal sprint.
Image Credit: Hannah McKay/Reuters
So, the podium was a Jamaican whitewash – something that could have easily happened with the sheer talent of Jamaica. However, much appreciation remains for the other wonderful women who competed. Each and every one of them put their heart and soul into that competition; they should all be so proud. They have inspired new generations of young girls and women. Some made history for their countries, for the world even, but most importantly they made history within themselves. This remains one of the greatest events I’ve witnessed – I hope to see such an exhilarating event again in 2024 – I can’t wait.
Thank you for taking time to read this article, I’ve loved writing for We are Girls in Sport, hopefully I can write for them again in the future!
It’s been a pleasure,
Ashleigh Rollins