As the 2024 Paris Olympics draw to a close, Caribbean athletes continue to make their mark, bringing home medals and breaking records.
In a thrilling women’s 200m final on Tuesday, American sprinter Gabby Thomas claimed the gold, while St. Lucia’s Julian Alfred secured a silver medal, adding another accolade to her island’s athletic achievements, and was beaming with pride for Thomas’ win. Although Thomas represents Team USA, she has Jamaican roots through her father. Nicknamed “The Genius,” Thomas is not only a sprinting sensation but also an academic powerhouse, holding a bachelor’s degree in neurobiology from Harvard University and a master’s degree in public health from the University of Texas. With ambitions to one day open a hospital, her talents and aspirations extend far beyond the track — but for now she’s enjoying being front and center on the podium.
Cuban wrestler Mijain Lopez has left it all on the mat, winning his fifth consecutive gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling on Tuesday, defeating Yasmani Acosta Fernandez of Chile 6-0 in the final. This victory makes him both the first Olympic athlete to win gold in the same event at five consecutive Games and the first wrestler to win five gold medals. Following his win, Lopez retired, symbolically placing his shoes in the center of the mat among a crowd of screaming fans. He is inspired to mentor and educate the younger generation going forward.
In men’s discus throw, Jamaica celebrated a historic win on Wednesday as Rojé Stona took home the gold and set a new Olympic record of 70.00 meters, marking Jamaica’s first Olympic gold in the event and their first gold at Paris 2024 overall.
Although Kirani James, the pride of the ‘Spice Island,’ was favored to win the men’s 400m final, it was the USA’s Quincy Hall who clinched the gold with a nail-biting comeback in the last moments of the race. Jereem Richards from Trinidad and Tobago narrowly missed bronze by just 0.4 seconds, while James fell behind and finished 5th.
In women’s sprinting, Shada Williams of Barbados is heading to the finals of the women’s 400m. Though she wasn’t in the top two finishers in her heat, her impressive time guaranteed her spot in the final set for Friday, August 9 at 2pm. She will compete alongside fellow islander Marileidy Paulino from the Dominican Republic.
Dominican Republic sprinter Alexander Ogando has also made it to the finals to race against the favored Noah Lyles in the men’s 200m final on Thursday at 2:30pm.
