Brianna Rollins wins the 100m hurdles at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (© Getty Images)
Brianna Rollins led a US sweep of the medals in the 100m hurdles, the first such sweep in this event, and only the seventh in any women’s event in Olympic history.
Rollins pulled ahead of the field early and ran smoothly to finish in 12.48, 0.11 seconds ahead of the field – a lifetime in the short hurdles.
“Oh my God, it’s a relief,” Rollins said. “There has been such a lot of anticipation.”
Rollins won this event at the IAAF World Championships Moscow 2013, but finished fourth and just outside the medals last year in Beijing. In March she finished just behind Nia Ali to take silver in the 60m hurdles at the IAAF World Indoor Championships.
Behind her, things were a bit more challenging for the rest of the sweep. Ali, to Rollins’ left, had to lean to secure silver in 12.59.
Kristi Castlin, who seemed to get out of the blocks slowly (even though Rollins had a slower reaction time) was visibly behind and had to work to catch up with Cindy Ofili to her right.
Castlin went stride for stride with Ofili over the last three hurdles and then got her by 0.02, 12.59 to 12.61. Castlin took bronze with her lean, as Ofili lost form in the final strides.
Ali, Castlin and Ofili all finished within 0.05 of one another.
“We are three strong hurdlers,” said Castlin.
Each of the three had won her semi-final heat. Rollins was the only one of the trio to run slower in the final than she did in her semi-final, by 0.01.
The US sweep did not even include world record-holder Kendra Harrison, who finished outside the selection spots at the US Trials.
“I knew it was going to be hard to win a medal,” Ali said. Holding her 15-month-old son Titus, who had joined her for the lap of honour, she went on: “He won't remember this, but he will see photos and see that you can do anything you put your mind to."
Phylicia George of Canada, the only 2012 finalist to return to the final here in Rio, was eighth in 12.89.
Parker Morse for the IAAF
