Double Olympic Champion Fraser-Pryce clocked 10.92s, while Clayton and Shashalee Forbes advance to the 100m semi-finals. Heartbreak for Lamara Distin
Fraser-Pryce with her fellow sprinter Ta Lou (Photo: Getty Images)
The athletics competitions at the 2024 Paris Olympics officially kicked off on Friday, August 2. The spotlight was on Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who cruised to the semi-finals in what is expected to be her last Olympics.
The double Olympic 100m and five-time world champion clocked 10.92 (0.8) to safely qualify from her heat. Marie-Josée Ta Lou finished first with a season's best of 10.87, qualifying fastest overall.
Fast-rising sprint sensation Tia Clayton finished second in her heat, clocking 11.00 to advance to the semi-finals. Shashalee Forbes, who replaced Shericka Jackson after her recent withdrawal from the 100m event, also qualified for the women’s 100m semi-finals with a time of 11.19 seconds.
In the women's high jump qualifiers, Jamaican Lamara Distin failed to advance to the final with a result of 1.88m, missing the 1.92m minimum height on all three jumps.
Tough Semis Draw for Fraser-Pryce
Through the semis draw, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has been placed in the 100m 'Semifinal of Death,' competing against some of the top sprinters this season, including American Sha'Carri Richardson, Saint Lucian Julien Alfred, and Gambian Gina Bass-Bittaye in Heat 2.
Nineteen-year-old Tia Clayton will run in Heat 3, facing British Daryll Neita, American TeeTee Terry, and New Zealand's prospect Zoe Hobbs. In the opening heat of the semis, Shashalee Forbes will compete against European Champion Dina Asher-Smith, Poland's Ewa Swoboda, who also has had an impressive season, and veteran Marie-Josée Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast. Only two athletes from each heat will get automatic qualification into the final on Saturday.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce faces tough semi-finals draw (Photo: Getty Images)
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