Camacho-Quinn dazzles in 100m hurdles Gold

The 24-year-old clocked a time of 12.37 seconds at Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium, followed home by the USA’s Kendra Harrison.

Though Camacho-Quinn had a comfortable win, there was a tight finish for the Silver Medal.

World No. 2 Kendra Harrison crossed the line in 12.52s, just 0.03s ahead of Jamaica’s Megan Tapper, who settled for the Bronze.

Camacho-Quinn could not better the Olympic record of 12.26s she set in the semi-finals.

Yet, her performance was good enough to win the first athletics Gold in Puerto Rico’s history and the country’s second-ever medal.

Tennis player Monica Puig won Puerto Rico’s first Gold medal in 2016. Camacho-Quinn, whose first Olympic experience was a heartbreaking one, was disqualified in 2016.

In Rio de Janeiro, the Puerto Rican sprinter was among the leaders in her semi-final until she clipped the eighth hurdle. Unable to maintain her form and composure, Camacho-Quinn knocked down the ninth before stumbling and falling to the track.

Her journey to get to the Olympic Games in Tokyo has had ‘it’s ups and downs’ and has ‘been a roller-coaster’.

“Everything happens for a reason. I was really running for the world record,” she said after today’s golden run. “I hit the hurdle but everything happens for a reason. I came through with the Gold. This is my first Gold Medal. I honestly think all of us should be rewarded for this. We made it,” she said.

Harrison also had a year to remember in 2016 – the American runner set a world record of 12.20s in the 100m hurdles but she failed to qualify for the Olympics in Rio due to finishing fourth in the US trials.

“I missed out in 2016 so to come here and get a medal for my country, I couldn’t be happier. It feels great. You put so much work into this and you train so hard. To come out here and capture it, I couldn’t be happier,” Harrison said.

“One of my downfalls is when I come up against stronger athletes and I knew it would be a tough race with Jasmine (Camacho-Quinn),” she added.