The Gyulai Istvan Memorial was meant to be a Jamaican showcase. The women’s 100m lineup was like a who’s who of sprint royalty — national champion Tina Clayton, two-time world 200m champion Shericka Jackson, and the legend, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, each wearing crowns of past glory and current form. Rising star Krystal Sloley added youthful firepower to the team, and for some fans, the question was not if Jamaica would win, but which Jamaican would take gold.

Then came the curveball. In lane among the Jamaican stars stood a 36-year-old Ivorian veteran with decades of racing experience and a history of upsetting predictions, and upset them the star did — clocking a blistering 10.97 seconds, which is -0.5 wind, to snatch the women’s 100m title.

As RunBlogRun captured it: “Marie Josée Ta Lou-Smith claims the women’s 100m title at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial with a blazing 10.97s (-0.4)! Tina Clayton just missed out, finishing second in 10.98s, followed closely by Shericka Jackson at 11.00s. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Javious Sears rounded out the top five, both crossing the line in 11.07s.”

The outcome was not just surprising — it was a clean sweep denial. Every Jamaican in the race, from the Tina Clayton, national champion, to the living legend, was stunned to watch as a non-Jamaican stood atop the podium. The shockwaves were not related to the times — all incredibly tight — however related to the symbolism. Budapest, the same venue where Jackson and Fraser-Pryce had secured bronze and silver at the 2023 World Championships, had now become the stage for a distinctive kind of story.

However, this victory in Budapest was not just related to an impressive time on the clock — it was the culmination of resilience, personal fights, and a comeback story that rarely happened. To understand why this win mattered so much, we need to go back to the moments when Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith almost walked away from the sport altogether.

The comeback was fueled by pain, faith, and friendship.

A season before Ta Lou-Smith’s Budapest triumph, her career was teetering on the edge. Paris 2024 had dealt the star another heartbreak — an early exit in the women’s 100m final after going through a persistent back injury that radiated down Ta Lou-Smith’s hamstring and thigh. The physical pain was intense; however, the mental strain cut deeper. Fourth-place finishes at Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, and near-misses in multiple moments had branded the star the “nearly woman” of sprinting. She openly said she considered quitting the game after the 2023 World Championships, convinced her time had passed.

Yet, it was the voices around Ta Lou-Smith that pulled the star back, and one voice in particular. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the very Jamaican star Ta Lou-Smith, would later defeat in Budapest, became her anchor. “She’s a true inspiration to all of us,” Ta Lou-Smith said and recalled prayer group meetings and heartfelt motivation that reignited her will to run. Alongside Fraser-Pryce’s help came a statement from Shericka Jackson and others, urging Ta Lou-Smith to rest, heal, and rediscover joy in the sport. Such a combination of friendship, faith, and patience helped the star to return powerful, racking up nine podium finishes in nine races before lining up in Budapest.

For Ta Lou-Smith, Budapest was not just another win — it was proof that perseverance could still rewrite history. From almost retiring to outpacing some of the fastest women in history, Ta Lou-Smith’s story is now less about being “nearly” and more about being “unstoppable.” As the season rolls on toward her fifth World Championships, one thing is certain — Ta Lou-Smith is not done adding chapters to her remarkable career.

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