Roger Stoner wins discus gold with record-breaking effort

PARIS, France — Jamaican Roger Stoner stunned the track and field world with his record-breaking athleticism in the men’s discus throw at the 2024 Paris Olympics. In a frenetic competition at the Stade de France on Wednesday night, Stoner threw a staggering 70.0 meters to win the gold medal and etch his name into Olympic history.

Stoner’s outstanding performance not only won him the gold medal, but also broke the previous Olympic record of 69.89 meters and set a new Olympic record. Lithuanian athlete Mykolas Alekna won the silver medal with a score of 69.97 meters, and Austrian athlete Matthew Denney won the bronze medal with a score of 69.31 meters.

Stoner’s victory was a historic moment for Jamaica as it was the country’s first medal in the men’s discus. The achievement brings Jamaica’s total medals to five, including one gold, three silvers and one bronze.

The North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Under-23 gold and silver medallist started the series with a modest throw but unleashed a record-breaking throw on his fourth attempt. Despite fouling on his final two attempts, Stoner’s monumental efforts were enough to secure a spot on the podium.

Alekner initially set a new Olympic record with a throw of 69.97m, and he started well with a throw of 68.55m. He remained competitive throughout the meet, throwing 68.88m and 68.49m, but ultimately fell short of Stoner’s mark.

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The 4th Track and Field Medal

Stoner’s Jamaican teammates Ralph Mullins and Travis Smikel also performed well, throwing 65.61m and 64.97m respectively.

The discus gold was Jamaica’s fourth medal in the field events of the Games, highlighting the strong performance of a country known for its sprinting. Earlier, Rajendra Campbell won bronze in the men’s shot put, an event dominated by American Ryan Crouser, a three-time Olympic champion and two-time world champion who is also Stoner’s coach.

Shanieka Ricketts won silver in the women’s triple jump and Wayne Pinnock won silver in the men’s long jump, contributing to Jamaica’s impressive success in field events.

Elsewhere, the Jamaican trio of Hansler Pachment, Orlando Bennett and Rashid Broadbear advanced to the men’s 110m hurdles final. Defending champion Pachment finished third in his semifinal in a season’s best of 13.19 seconds, while American world champion Grant Holloway won in 12.98 seconds. Broadbear narrowly won the second semifinal in 13.21 seconds, while Bennett won the third semifinal in 13.09 seconds.

Jaden Hibbert improved in the men’s triple jump despite a knee injury, clearing 16.99m and 16.95m before fouling on his third attempt. His compatriot Jordan Scott failed to advance, clearing 16.36m.

Clark dominates men’s 400m hurdles final

Roshawn Clark was the only Jamaican to advance from the men’s 400m hurdles semifinals, finishing second in his heats in 48.34 seconds, behind American Rai Benjamin in 47.85. Jaheel Hyde and Malik James-King both failed to advance, with Hyde finishing seventh and James-King also seventh after failing in the final hurdle.

In the men’s 200m semifinals, Brian Leavell finished eighth in 20.93 seconds. Kenneth Bednarek of the United States won in 20.0 seconds. In the second semifinal, Letsile Tebogo won in 19.96 seconds, followed by Noah Lyles in 20.08 seconds. Eliyon Knighton won in the third semifinal in 20.09 seconds, ensuring a strong American presence in the final.

Jamaica’s women’s 400m semi-final performance was poor, with Junel Blomfield finishing last in 51.93 seconds, while Nikesha Price, who was seen as a strong contender, finished fourth in 50.77 seconds, a lower-than-expected time.

While no Jamaicans made the men’s 400m final, the Caribbean was represented by Kirani James of Grenada and Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago. James led on the straight but was passed by Matthew Hudson-Smith of Great Britain and finished second to Quincy Hall of the United States, who won in a personal best of 43.40 seconds. Hudson-Smith set a regional record in 43.44 seconds, while Muzala Samukonga of Zambia set a national record in 43.74 seconds to finish third. Richards set a national record in 43.78 seconds to finish fourth.