TOKYO, Japan, CMC – Former CARIFTA Games star Natoya Goule became the first Jamaican in 13 years to reach an Olympic final in the women’s 800 metres, when she captured her semi-final at the Tokyo Games here yesterday.
The 30-year-old followed her win in the heats on day one with a controlled win in the first race of the advanced round, covering the distance in one minute, 59.57 seconds.
Kenia Sinclair was the last Jamaican to reach a final when she finished sixth at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Great Britain’s Jemma Reekie finished second in 1:59.77 to also reach the final.
There were notable milestones reached by Chad Wright and Shadae Lawrence, both in the discus.
Wright, the 2010 CARIFTA winner, finished ninth in the men’s final with a heave of 62.56 metres and Lawrence made it to the women’s final with a distance of 62.27 metres.
Both are the first Jamaicans to reach Olympic finals in the discus.
The only blot on a bright day for the region was the injury suffered by World long jump champion Tajay Gayle, the 24 year-old Jamaican banginghis knee on his second qualifying attempt but returning to cover 8.14 metres and reserve his place in the August 2 final.
Meanwhile, Bahamian Pedra Seymour, the 2016 Olympic 100 metre hurdles finalist, will lead six Caribbean women in today’s semi-finals of the event.
Seymour finished fourth in heat four in 13.04 seconds as Jamaican Britany Anderson took victory in 12.67.
Puerto Rican Jasmine Camacho-Quinn zoomed home in 12.41 seconds in her heat, with Jamaica’s Megan Tapper a comfortable second with a personal best of 12.53 seconds.
Also advancing were Seymour’s compatriot Devynne Charlton who finished fourth in heat three with 12.84, and Tapper’s teammate Yanique Thompson who took second in heat three in 12.74.
In the women’s 400m hurdles, Jamaica’s 2018 Commonwealth champion, Janieve Russell, moved into the semi-finals when she finished second in heat two in 54.81, behind winner Anna Ryzhykova of Ukraine in 54.56.
Tia-Adana Belle of Barbados joined Russell in the next round by finishing second in heat four in a season-best 55.69 as Femke Bol of the Netherlands cruised to victory in 54.43.
But Jamaican Ronda Whyte suffered a blow when she false started in heat four while her teammate Leah Nugent was disqualified for a lane violation.
The quest for gold in the men’s 400 metres will begin today with World champion Steven Gardiner of The Bahamas and Grenada’s 2012 Olympic winner, Kirani James, leading the Caribbean charge.
Bolstered by a personal best 18.75 metres in qualifying, Porteus Warren will compete in the women’s shot put final while Pan-American Games long jump winner Chantal Malone of the British Virgin Island will do battle in the qualifying round.
