Australia

Lamont Marcell Jacobs wins Italy’s first 100m gold medal in athletics


Lamont Marcell Jacobs has delivered Italy its first gold medal in the men’s 100 metres at the Tokyo Olympics.

Jacobs powered to a shock victory with a strong second half of the race, to win in a European record of 9.80 seconds.

Fred Kerley of the United States, who until recently was a 400m specialist, claimed silver in 9.84.

Canada’s Andre de Grasse took the bronze in 9.89.

Even in a race with no clear favourites, Jacobs was a surprise winner to take the mantle held for the past 13 years by the now-retired Usain Bolt.

Jacobs is the first men’s 100m champion not named Usain Bolt since Athens in 2004.(

Getty Images: Cameron Spencer

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“It’s been my dream since I was a child,” said Jacobs, who was born in the US but moved to Europe with his Italian mother when he was a month old.

While Italy has twice won gold in the men’s 200m, it had never won a medal in the 100m until Jacobs broke through on Sunday night.

The final began in dramatic circumstances when Great Britan’s Zharnel Hughes was disqualified following a false start.

Earlier in the evening, Australia’s Rohan Browning was eliminated in the men’s when he finished fifth in his semi-final in a time of 10.09.

Jacobs’s victory came only moments after his countryman Gianmarco Tamberi tied Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim for gold after both cleared 2.37m in the men’s high jump.

Australia’s Brandon Starc finished a gallant fifth, with 2.35m his highest clearance.

Italy's Gianmarco Tamberi (left) hugs countryman Lamont Marcell Jacobs after they won high jump and 100m gold.
High jump gold medalist Gianmarco Tamber (left) congratulates Jacobs after his 100m victory.(

AP: Matthias Schrader

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Meanwhile, Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela set a world record with her final attempt to win the women’s triple jump gold medal.

Rojas already had the gold medal assured when she took the last of her six attempts, finishing with a mark of 15.67m to break a record set in 1995.

A female triple jumper from Venezuela celebrates with her national flag at the Tokyo Olympics.
Yulimar Rojas had a night to remember in Tokyo.(

Reuters: Dylan Martinez

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Inessa Kravets of Ukraine held the previous world record at 15.50m.

Rojas broke the Olympic record of 15.39m with her first attempt in the final. The two-time world champion won a silver medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Patricia Mamona of Portugal took silver with a national record of 15.01m. Ana Peleteiro of Spain won bronze with a national record of 14.87m.

Browning out in semis

Browning, who set a personal best of 10.01 on Saturday night to qualify for the semi-finals, was slower out of the blocks than he would have liked.

He hit the line in the same time as fourth-placed Jamaican Oblique Seville.

Three male sprinters competing in the 100 metres semi-finals at the Tokyo Olympics.
Rohan Browning (centre) finished fifth in his 100 metres semi-final in a time of 10.09.(

Getty Images: Matthias Hangst

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“I just never got out and then I had my work cut out for me,” Browning told Channel Seven.

“I feel like I came back well through the end of the race but I left myself with too much work to do and it is only 100 metres.

“I’ve been consistent this year and I’ve been knocking on the door of sub-10 (seconds), it’s a big breakthrough.

“Hopefully it (sub-10 performance) comes later in the year in Europe. I’ll definitely walk away from this experience with a lot learned.”

AP/ABC



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