Sha’Carri Richardson praises Tia Clayton after Jamaican's run to women's 100m final on Olympic debut at Paris 2024

Tia Clayton entered the 2024 Paris Olympics as a young sprinter with an outside chance to do something special for her country. And she headed into the women's 100m final as the sole Jamaican in the fray.

In the women's 100m semifinals, Clayton came out on top in Semifinal 3 by clocking 10.89 seconds. She beat Great Britain’s Daryll Neita (10.97 seconds) and American Twanisha Terry (11.07 seconds) to the top spot in her semifinal.

In the final on Saturday (August 3), the 19-year-old could only finish seventh, with a time of 11.04 seconds, on a rain-drenched track at Stade de France. Richardson, who won the silver medal in the event, took to social media to praise her for doing her best in her debut Games.

"Tia Clayton, to be the youngest & the only one representing a country is an achievement in itself & congratulation," she said on her Instagram stories.

Screenshot of Sha’Carri Richardson's Instagram story [PC: Instagram]

Clayton was Jamaica's sole representative in the final after Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce withdrew from the women's 100-meter semifinals in the last minute. According to Olympic officials, she suffered an undisclosed injury.

Jamaica's team manager Ludlow Watts confirmed the same but gave no information on the injury.

“We only got the information that she is injured, but (a team doctor) is addressing the matter, and we will speak further on the matter,” he told Jamaica Observer. (via AP)

Fraser-Pryce later took to social media to state her disappointment and thanked her supporters.

“It is difficult for me to find the words to describe the depth of my disappointment. I know that my supporters share and shoulder this disappointment with me. I am truly Blessed to have had the steadfast support of my fans since my Olympic debut in 2008,” she said.

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Sha’Carri Richardson settles for women's 100m silver at 2024 Paris Olympics

Sha'carri Richardson at the 2024 Paris Olympics - Getty Images

Sha’Carri Richardson entered the women's 100m final as the favorite to clinch the gold medal. Those odds were further strengthened when rival Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce pulled out of the semifinals due to injury.

However, Richardson had to settle for silver in the end as Julien Alfred put in a fantastic performance (10.72 seconds) to become the new women's 100m Olympic champion. The three-time NCAA champion clinched the gold medal, which is Saint Lucia's first medal in the history of the Olympics.

Richardson clocked 10.87 seconds to win silver while her compatriot Melissa Jefferson (10.92 seconds) took bronze. It is the first time American sprinters have won two medals in the event since the 1996 Atlanta Games.