Gold medallist brings maiden title home for Dominica at Stade de France
Just as Julien Alfred was celebrating having become Saint Lucia’s first ever Olympic champion in Paris on Saturday night (August 3), so Thea LaFond was able to do likewise for Dominica after winning the women’s triple jump.
A national record of 15.02m (-0.4) allowed her to succeed world record-holder Yulimar Rojas – absent through an Achilles injury – on the top step of the podium. There was a distinctly Caribbean flavour to proceedings as Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts took silver with a season’s best of 14.87m (-0.7) and USA’s Jasmine Moore won bronze with 14.67 (0.7).
Cuban Leyanis Perez Hernandez had moved into an early lead with 14.62m, one centimetre clear of Ricketts’ opener but it was in the second round where the prizes were effectively settled – all of the eventual medallists producing their best leaps of the night at that stage.
LaFond was the only athlete to breach the 15-metre barrier and managed to go one centimetre further than the 15.01m which brought her the world indoor title in Glasgow back in March.
For Ricketts, hers is an Olympic medal which was partly made in Britain. Coached by her husband Kerrylee, the couple have strong links with the Hercules Wimbledon club.
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