Thea LaFond made 2024 a historic year for Dominican athletics, leaping into history with a 15.02m (49 feet and 3.3 inches) National Record (NR) and World Lead (WL) on Saturday night (3 Aug) to win Olympic gold in the women’s triple jump.
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After earning the first World Championship title for Dominica earlier this year during the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, the Roseau-born LaFond added the pinnacle prize of track and field to her achievements. She bettered her own record by inches.
“I think I’m still in shock,” said LaFond. “It’s crazy, it’s crazy!”
From Washington to World Stage: Thea LaFond’s Record-Breaking Triumph for Dominica
LaFond grew up in the U.S., just outside Washington, D.C. She discovered track and field in high school, displaying prodigious, versatile ability early on, dominating in hurdles, triple jump, long jump, and high jump. She also served as a valuable relay leg on many occasions.
In 2011, she hinted at things to come when she won the High School Girls Triple Jump at the Penn Relays during her senior season and competed in her first CARIFTA Games representing Dominica.
She competed for the University of Maryland until 2015, qualifying for several World Youth and Junior Championship meets while completing her studies.
After spending her first few post-graduation years teaching during the week, LaFond eventually gained sponsorship from Dominica, allowing her to focus full-time on her athletic career.
She qualified for her first Olympics in 2016, and in 2021 in Tokyo, she made her first Olympic final. In the last couple of World Championship cycles in Eugene and Budapest, she finished fifth in consecutive years. In March, she broke through to win the world indoors title with a then-national record of 15.01m.
This is Dominica’s first Olympic title and medal ever. Before LaFond’s ascent, the highest finish by a Dominican athlete in the Olympics or World Championships was Jérôme Romain’s bronze at the 1995 World Championships in Gothenburg.
LaFond comfortably qualified for the Olympic final with a jump of 14.35m on Friday.
Notably absent from the final was reigning Olympic and world record holder Yulimar Rojas, who was sidelined by an injury in June.
On Saturday night, LaFond’s stiffest competition came from Jamaican rival Shanieka Ricketts. LaFond’s championship-winning jump came on her second attempt, despite Ricketts’ best effort of 14.87m also coming on her second try.
LaFond’s series of jumps were 14.32m, 15.02m, 14.46m, 14.12m, and 14.43m. Ricketts had one last chance on her sixth attempt to unseat LaFond but fell short with a 14.73m effort.
American Jasmine Moore took bronze with a 14.67m jump, leading her day’s performances on her second attempt.
LaFond’s jump surpassed her previous outdoor national record of 14.90m, set at the 2023 World Championship Final in Budapest.
“This is what dreams are made of,” said LaFond. “I keep thinking I’m going to wake up; I hope I never do.”
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