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Twitter Explodes As Elaine Thompson-Herah Topples FloJo’s ‘Unbreakable Record’ at Tokyo Olympics 2020

Published 07/31/2021, 10:15 AM EDT

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No one thought it could ever be done, but then Elaine Thompson-Herah went ahead and did it. The Jamaican sprinter dashed down the tracks to win gold in the women’s 100m finals at the Tokyo Olympics, defeating her colleagues Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson who came second and third respectively. 

Not only did Thompson win the gold, but she also set a new Olympic record at 10.61 seconds, shattering the previous one held by Florence Griffith-Joyner that had stood for over three decades. Joyner, also known as FloJo, had set this record along with her 200m one at the Seoul Olympics in 1988, clocking in a historic 10.62.

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Herah broke down in joy as she realised she had made history, becoming the holder of the new Olympic record and successfully defending her gold medal that she won in Rio 2016. The women’s 100m finals were dominated by a Jamaican clean-sweep, seeing little to no competition from other nations. 

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce clocked in at 10.74 seconds to win the silver, and Shericka Jackson ran 10.76 seconds to win the bronze in a new personal best. Following the race, fans were staggered by the analysis of Thompson’s timing.

Elaine Thompson-Herah may just be able to reach FloJo’s all-time record

The Jamaican ran into a 0.6 m/s headwind. This means that in still conditions, her timing would have been 10.57s, and with a +2.0 tailwind, 10.47 seconds! This pretty much broke the belief that FloJo’s all-time record of 10.49 seconds was untouchable. Thompson can very well break that timing as well in the right conditions. 

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This massive Olympic feat means that Elaine Thompson is now the second-fastest woman in history and has reached rarified air. The Gods have been proved as mere mortals and Thompson is on her way to do the impossible. 

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The 29-year-old has time ahead of her to catch up with the ever-elusive FloJo record and will aim for gold in the Paris Games in 2024. While Usain Bolt may not be competing anymore, these women continue holding the Jamaican banner high on the tracks and have ensured the nation’s dominance in track events one more.

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Written by:

Luke Dias

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Luke Dias is a senior WWE and AEW author at EssentiallySports, having published more than 1000 articles on professional wrestling. Having completed courses in Advanced Writing from the University of California and Media and Ethics from the University of Amsterdam, Luke is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Journalism from Xavier’s College. His tremendous knowledge of WWE history enables him to make past connections, adding depth to the articles.
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