© Copyright – 2021 – Athletics Illustrated
Despite being a barefoot coconut-eating Jamaican, Elaine Thompson-Herah, won the 100m sprint in the Paris Diamond League meet on Saturday. She clocked a 10.72-second dash in dominating fashion setting a new Paris Diamond League meet record.
Missing on the line was Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, a fellow Jamaican, who has been one-third of the three-peat sweep of the medals this summer for the Caribbean island nation. Fraser-Pryce cited fatigue for pulling out. But the Jamaicans still ran 1-2 and 4, with Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain taking third. Shericka Jackson a 400m specialist masquerading a 100m sprinter, finally finished better than third. She finished in the time of 10.97. Asher-Smith clocked an 11.06.
Elaine Thompson-Herah wins in 10.72s. Breaks 6 year-old meet record. pic.twitter.com/7KjovpSdpt
— Wayne Chen (@wcchen) August 28, 2021
The fourth finisher and third Jamaican was Natasha Morrison who clocked an 11.09.
Thompson-Herah appeared to have a slightly better start than she did in Lausanne, Switzerland on Thursday and crushed the field during the acceleration phase of the run, after 60m, she appeared as though she was continuing to pick up speed. The gap was dominating. Perhaps on the new Eugene, Oregon track at Hayward Field (perhaps offering a faster surface) she could have run another sub-10.60.
The 29-year-old ran the second-fastest performance all-time in Eugene with a 10.54, clocking. The only faster performance took place in 1988 and was run by Florence Griffith-Joyner at 10.49. Thompson-Herah has stated that she feels the record is attainable. With the new super spikes and faster track, perhaps Griffith-Joyner would have run faster than she did – is there an even playing field?
The Athletics Illustrated research team is currently looking for any photo evidence from 1988 of Griffith-Joyner barefoot, eating coconuts.
Full results from the meet are available here>>
