海角大神

The Tokyo Olympics over the past week saw a series of speedy days on the track from female sprinters Sydney McLaughlin, Dalilah Muhammad, and Elaine Thompson-Herah. The performances set new standards for what is possible in the sport of track and field.

In the 400-meter hurdles, Ms. McLaughlin broke the world record 鈥� and then her American teammate Dalilah Muhammad broke it, too. But only one of the world鈥檚 best hurdlers could win the Olympic gold medal聽鈥� and Ms. McLaughlin came out ahead in the latest installment of the best rivalry in track.

The 21-year-old from New Jersey won the 400-meter hurdles title Wednesday, finishing in 51.46 seconds in yet another history-making day on the speedy Olympic oval.

鈥淚ron sharpening iron,鈥� Ms. McLaughlin called the latest in her series of showdowns with Ms. Muhammad, each one faster than the last. 鈥淓very time we step on the track, it鈥檚 always something fast.鈥�

Ms. McLaughlin came from behind after the last hurdle to top the defending Olympic champion. Ms. Muhammad鈥檚 time of 51.58 also beat Ms. McLaughlin鈥檚 old record of 51.9, set at Olympic trials in June. But in this race, it was only good enough for the silver.

For Ms. McLaughlin, it was a muted celebration 鈥撀爄n part, because traversing 400 meters while clearing 10 hurdles at 17 miles-per-hour is more exhausting than she makes it look.

She sat on the ground, gave a serious look toward the scoreboard 鈥撀爕ep, it鈥檚 a record ... again 鈥撀爐hen got up and moved toward the hand-sanitizing station. Ms. Muhammad came over and gave her a congratulatory hug. They鈥檒l meet again. World championships are next July.

鈥淣o mixed emotions,鈥� Ms. Muhammad said. 鈥淪ure, there are always things you want to do better. But you use this as a springboard to the next. This is not my last race.鈥�

Impressive as Ms. McLaughlin鈥檚 race was, this record didn鈥檛 really surprise anyone.

Ms. McLaughlin and Ms. Muhammad, a New York City native who went to Southern Cal, have been trading the record, and the wins, for two years. Ms. Muhammad first broke the mark at U.S. Nationals in Des Moines, Iowa, in 2019, then lowered it to 52.16, at the world championships in Qatar.

Ms. McLaughlin broke that record earlier this summer at the Olympic trials, running 51.9 to become the first woman to crack 52 seconds.

It felt inevitable that the mark would go down again on a fast track in perfect, hot-and-humid running conditions in Tokyo.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 two athletes wanting to be their best,鈥� Ms. McLaughlin said, 鈥渁nd knowing there鈥檚 another great girl who鈥檚 going to help you get there.鈥�

Jamaican rockets

In the 100m, Ms. Thompson-Herah was also chasing down a record set over three decades prior by Florence Griffith Joyner also known as Flo Jo. Even with the record under her belt, she's still itching to go faster.

Streaking down the track, with only six steps to go until she reached the finish line, Ms. Thompson-Herah stuck out her left arm and started pointing at the clock.

She knew she had the win.

It was only a matter of what else would come with it.

With a time of 10.61 seconds, the latest in the long string of Jamaican speed stars defended her Olympic title in the 100 meters Saturday, she broke Flo Jo鈥檚 33-year-old Olympic record. And, as a more-than-fitting bonus, she revisited a debate first triggered by the fastest Jamaican of all 鈥撀燯sain Bolt.

Yes, the gold medal and Flo Jo鈥檚 venerable record were great. But the question could not be avoided: Just as people wondered what Mr. Bolt might have given up when he hotdogged his way to the finish line in his first Olympic victory in 2008, how much faster might Ms. Thompson-Herah have gone had she run hard for 100 meters, not just 90 or 95?

鈥淚 think I could have gone faster if I wasn鈥檛 pointing and celebrating, really,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut to show you that there鈥檚 more in store. Hopefully, one day I can unleash that time.鈥�

As it was, she finished the night as the second-fastest woman in history. Flo Jo鈥檚 world record of 10.49 is the only mark left to beat.

Ms. Thompson-Herah is now firmly entrenched in a long list of Jamaican women track stars 鈥撀燼 string some say is even more impressive than the men鈥檚.聽

But getting on that list required defying expectations and a whole lot of faith in herself. Many expected two-time Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce to take gold. While Ms. Fraser-Pryce was at peak form, Ms. Thompson-Herah was something less, battling an Achilles injury that slowed her all the way through Jamaica鈥檚 national championships last month.

鈥淭wo months ago, probably a month and a half, I didn鈥檛 think I鈥檇 be here today,鈥� Ms. Thompson-Herah said. 鈥淚 held my composure. I believed in myself.鈥�

This story was reported by The Associated Press.