KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s women’s 4x100m relay team faced a challenging end to their Olympic campaign on Friday, finishing fifth in the final at Stade de France during the penultimate day of competition at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The team clocked a time of 42.29 seconds, marking a significant departure from their recent history of podium finishes.
The Jamaican team, consisting of Alana Reid, Kemba Nelson, Shashalee Forbes, and Tia Clayton, entered the final as the defending champions, having secured the gold medal in Tokyo in 2021. Despite fielding the same lineup that successfully qualified from the semi-finals, they were unable to replicate their previous success.
This fifth-place finish is particularly notable as it is the first time since 2008 that Jamaica’s women’s 4x100m relay team has not secured a medal in the Olympics. The team had previously won back-to-back silver medals in London 2012 and Rio 2016, further solidifying their reputation as one of the strongest relay teams in the world.
The gold medal in the event went to the United States, who finished with a time of 41.78 seconds. Great Britain claimed the silver medal with a time of 41.85 seconds, while Germany took the bronze with a time of 41.97 seconds.
While the Jamaican women’s relay team may not have achieved the outcome they had hoped for in Paris, their legacy of excellence in the 4x100m relay remains strong. As they look towards future competitions, there is no doubt that they will strive to return to the podium and continue their tradition of success on the global stage.
