Imperious Thompson-Herah beats Fraser-Pryce for second 100m gold

Elaine Thompson-Herah denied Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce an unprecedented third gold when she led a historic Jamaican sweep for back-to-back Olympic 100 metres titles on Saturday, clocking the joint-second fastest time in history.
Thompson-Herah ran 10.61 seconds to beat the 2008 and 2012 champion Fraser-Pryce, and Shericka Jackson completed the first ever women's 100m podium sweep for a nation.
Poland meanwhile were somewhat surprise winners in the inaugural 4x400m mixed relay while world champion Daniel Stahl led a Swedish one-two in the men's discus.
Thompson-Herah, 29, had won a sprint double and relay silver in 2016 and she was fastest again in the empty National Stadium, setting an Olympic record.
She pulled away in the closing stages for a clear victory as 34-year-old Fraser-Pryce crossed the line 11-hundredths off her season and personal best in 10.74 seconds, falling short of emulating mighty compatriot Usain Bolt who has won the men's race three times.
Jackson recorded a personal best 10.76 for bronze while rivals United States managed no better than seventh from Teahna Daniels.
Only American world record holder Florence Griffith-Joyner has run faster than Thompson-Herah with her world record 10.49 seconds in 1988. FloJo also has a 10.61.
Polish anchor Kajetan Duszynski meanwhile proved strongest on the home stretch to win the relay gold together with Karol Zalewski, Natalia Kaczmarek and two-time European champion Justyna Swiety-Ersetic in 3 minutes 9.87 seconds.
Long-time leaders Dominican Republic got silver one-hundredth of a second ahead of world champions and world record holders the United States, who had to be content with bronze after originally being disqualified after the heat but later reinstated.
"I can't believe it. It is a dream since childhood. It has come true. It's such a great feeling," the elated Duszynski said.
Stahl lived up to his top billing to get a first-ever discus for Sweden with 68.90 metres. Compatriot Simon Pettersson took silver and bronze went to Lukas Weisshaidinger, the first Austrian man to win an Olympic athletics medal.
In preliminary action the men started their search for a successor to Bolt and season leader Trayvon Bromell of the US only made the semis after an almighty scare, having finished a mere fourth in his heat and only through via his time of 10.05 seconds.
"I have no words for it. It don't look like I actually pushed myself and that is going to be the thing my coach is mad about," Bromell said.
Compatriots Ronnie Baker and Fred Kerley were untroubled along with Canada's 2016 bronze medallist Andre de Grasse and former world champion Yohan Blake of Jamaica.
Swedish world record holder Armand Duplantis made the pole vault final, so did long-time rival Renaud Lavillenie of France after missing his opening height twice, and 2016 winner Thiago Braz of Brazil. American two-time world champion Sam Kendricks is missing after a positive coronavirus test.
World record holder Sydney McLaughlin and fellow American world and Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad breezed through the 400m hurdles heats, Kenya's Ferguson Rotich topped the men's 800m heats, and American top contender Athing Mu paced the women's 800m semis.
Cuba's Juan Miguel Echevarria led long jump qualifying with an impressive 8.50m, a result good enough for gold at the last three Games. World champion Tajay Gayle of Jamaica also made it despite being severely hampered by what appeared to be a knee injury.