Thea LaFond has etched her name in Olympic history, clinching gold in the triple jump on Saturday and securing Dominica’s first-ever Olympic medal.
Competing under the bright lights of the Stade de France, LaFond’s impressive jump of 15.02 meters, achieved on her second attempt, stood as the world’s best performance of the year and remained unbeaten despite challenging rain-soaked conditions.
LaFond, who draped herself in the flag of Dominica, expressed her pride and joy, celebrating with fervor.
“This is for you guys,” she declared, reflecting on the significance of her achievement for the Caribbean island nation, which boasts a population of just over 70,000. “We don’t often have a lot to celebrate, we’re amazing people… and this is the first time in history, this is a ground-breaking celebration.”
The evening also marked a historic moment for St. Lucia, where Julien Alfred won gold in the 100 meters, beating American Sha’Carri Richardson. LaFond credited Alfred’s success as an inspiration for her own performance, stating:
“I’m so grateful to Julien because I saw her get that gold indoor and I was like, I’m getting a gold too.”
At 30 years old, LaFond, who moved to the United States with her family at the age of five, had previously secured the World Indoor Championships title in March.
Her victory in the triple jump was particularly notable this year due to the absence of Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas, the reigning world record holder and Tokyo gold medalist, who missed the Games due to an Achilles tendon injury.
In the triple jump final, Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts secured the silver with a season’s best jump of 14.87 meters, a redemptive performance following her near miss at the Tokyo Olympics.
“It went spectacular. This is a dream come true,” Ricketts said.
American Jasmine Moore won bronze with a leap of 14.67 meters. Moore, who is competing in both the triple jump and long jump at these Games, made history as the first woman to make the U.S. Olympic team in both events.
Spain’s Ana Peleteiro-Compaore, the Tokyo bronze medalist, finished sixth with a jump of 14.59 meters, expressing her disappointment at not being able to match LaFond’s mark.
Cuba’s Leyanis Perez Hernandez, the world number one, came in fifth with a jump of 14.62 meters.
