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Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah broke 33-year-old Florence Griffith Joyner’s Olympic record in the women’s 100 meters.
Thompson-Herah set the new record of 10.61 seconds on Saturday winning gold in Tokyo. Griffith Joyner, also known as Flo-Jo, held the record 10.62 since the 1988 Seoul Games.
Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, rival of Thompson-Herah, won the silver medal after finishing the event in 10.74 seconds. Shericka Jackson, also of Jamaica, won the bronze medal with a time of 10.76.
The country’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness celebrated the victories in a series of tweets On Saturday.
“Proud cya done! #TeamJamaica 1,2,3. Congratulations to our women on a scintillating finale,” he wrote. “Let’s continue to write history!
“Jamaica is truly a superpower in world athletics,” a second tweet read.
Thompson-Herah now has two Olympic titles in the women’s 100 meters after winning gold at the Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Griffith Joyner, known for her iconic long nails and flashy outfits, still holds the world record in the women’s 100 meters.
The 10.49-second record came on a blustery day in Indianapolis during the first race of the Olympic Trials quarter-finals, but officials deemed it a legal wind. Over the years, some people have questioned the legitimacy of the recordings. Al Joyner, her husband at the time, told The Associated Press he doesn’t let critics bother him.
“I try to rise above and do what [Florence] would – she always tried to rise above, “he said.” She was always classy. “
Griffith Joyner’s world record of 21.34 seconds in the women’s 200 meters is also valid.
She died in her sleep from an epileptic seizure in 1998. She was 38 years old. Ahead of the record-breaking Thompson-Herah race, Al Joyner told the AP his late wife wanted someone to beat her time.
“I remember she once said to me, ‘I never want someone to be like me. I want them to take bigger steps than me,'” he said. “It has always been his dream.”
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