You can now listen to Antigua News articles!
On Sunday, Dominican Thea Lafond made history by becoming the first-ever Dominican athlete to win a gold medal at a global athletics competition!
She totally nailed it in the women’s triple jump at the World Indoor Athletics Championships happening in Glasgow, Scotland. With just two attempts, Lafond managed to clinch victory with a best jump of 15.01 meters, which is the best jump in the world for this year.
And get this – she was the only competitor who was able to hit the 15-meter mark!
In a post-win interview, Lafond expressed how proud she is to hail from Dominica – a small, but beautiful and powerful country in the Caribbean.
She also gave a heartfelt shoutout to her fellow Dominicans, thanking them for their support and well wishes.
What’s even more exciting is that Lafond drew inspiration from St. Lucian sprinter Julien Alfred, who also made history by becoming the first athlete to win a world medal for her country at the same event.
Alfred won gold in the 60-meter dash in just 6.98 seconds on Saturday! Lafond cited Alfred as her inspiration, and got emotional when she talked about how proud she was of her fellow Caribbean athlete.
Lafond’s win is truly amazing, especially given that she beat out some tough competition at the event. Cuba’s Leyanis Perez Hernandez won silver with a leap of 14.90 meters, while Ana Peleteiro-Compaore of Spain won bronze with a mark of 14.75.
To add to her impressive list of achievements, in 2019, Lafond set the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) outdoor record before sustaining a season-ending injury.
How amazing is that? It’s safe to say that Lafond has made history in the world of athletics, and we can’t wait to see what else she has in store for us in the
The Ministry of Sports is thrilled to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Ms. Thea Lafond for her incredible achievement at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland on Sunday, March 3rd, 2024.
Ms. Lafond made history by securing Dominica’s first-ever gold medal in the Women’s Triple Jump final, with a remarkable jump of 15.01 meters in the second round.
The World Athletics Indoor Championship is a prestigious biennial indoor track and field competition that serves as the global championship for the sport.
Dominica secured its first World Athletics Championships medal in 1995, and Ms. Lafond’s remarkable success means that Dominica has now earned its second medal at this esteemed competition.
The Ministry of Sports is immensely proud of Thea Lafond’s remarkable achievement on the global stage.
She continues to be an exceptional ambassador for our proud sporting nation, promoting our name and flag internationally.
0 Comments