Elaine Thompson-Herah reclaims Olympic 100m gold in 10.61sec

Elaine Thompson-Herah broke the Olympic record and defended her 100m title after an astonishing final in Tokyo.

Barely two hours after Dina Asher-Smith’s Olympic dream was shattered by a hamstring injury, Thompson-Herah stole the show with a quite breath-taking 10.61sec run that broke Florence Griffith-Joiner’s 1988 mark by one hundredth of a second.

She was followed over by double champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in 10.74sec and Shericka Jackson in 10.76sec in a Jamaican 1-2-3.

Incredibly six women broke 11 seconds, making it the quickest women’s final in history.

Fraser-Pryce, 34, had got off to a rapid start and led through 60m but was caught by the blistering finishing speed of Thompson. Britain’s Daryll Neita was eighth in 11.12sec.

Thompson-Herah told the BBC: ‘I have been struggling with my injury back and so forth, I see all the bad comments, and for me to stay focused, held my composure, I take all of my losses, all of my defeats and I use them as my motivation.’

Fraser-Pryce said: ‘I am excited because as a mother and being my fourth Olympics, to be able to stand again on the podium is just a tremendous honour.

I am hoping wherever in the world, mothers, athletes, females we understand that there is so much more we can achieve.

‘It is crazy, but you know my emotions are still very raw right now. I am sure I will go home and there will be some tears.’

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It came after British medal hopeful Dina Asher-Smith failed to qualify for the final and subsequently withdrew from the 200 metres event after revealing her struggles with a hamstring injury in the build-up to the Olympics.