Tokyo 2020: Elaine Thompson-Herah defends 100m title

Elaine Thompson-Herah ran the second fastest women’s 100m time ever, winning in 10.61 seconds, and retaining her Olympic title at the Tokyo Games in the process.

The Rio 2016 champion held off teammate Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who took silver with a time of 10.74 seconds, itself inside the top 10 fastest times ever.

Fraser-Pryce, the favourite for the race, was quickest out of the blocks, but she could not hold off her compatriot, who celebrated as she crossed the line.

It was an all-Jamaican podium, as Shericka Jackson claimed the bronze with a time of 10.76 seconds.

Thompson-Herah said: “I’ve been injured so much. I’m grateful I could get back on the track, and get back out on the track this year to retain the title. I knew I had it in me but obviously I’ve had my ups and downs with injuries. I’ve been keeping faith all this time. It is amazing.”

The champion’s time was a new Olympic record, and just 0.12 seconds short of the world record set 33 years ago by American Florence Griffith-Joyner.

In all, six women ran under 11 seconds, making the race one of the fastest in history. Marie-Josée Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast was fourth behind the three Jamaican sprinters, with the Swiss duo of Ajla Del Ponte and Mujinga Kambundji fifth and sixth.

Britain’s Daryll Neita, in her first ever individual Olympic final, came eighth with a time of 11.12 seconds. Her teammate, Team GB poster-girl Dina Asher-Smith, dramatically failed to qualify for the final, and then withdrew from the 200m, revealing that she had been struggling with a hamstring injury.