NEW SPRINT QUEEN

The 24-year-old Ahye, running in lane eight, struggled to keep up with the tremendous pace and was timed in 10.92 seconds.

Thompson ended Fraser-Pryce’s bid to cop a third successive Olympic 100m gold, as she took control of the race early and powered her way to the finish line in 10.71 seconds.

Tori Bowie of the United States got the silver medal with a 10.83 clocking while Fraser-Pryce, who has been battling a toe injury for the past few months, was next in a season’s best of 10.86, the same time as Marie-Josee Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast. But Fraser- Pryce was given the nod after the photo-finish.

Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands finished in fifth spot in 10.90, followed by Ahye, English Gardner of the United States (10.94) and Christania Williams of Jamaica (11.80).

A beaming Thompson, after the race, paid tribute to her compatriot and the 2008 and 2012 Olympic women’s 100m champion. “It’s amazing, I feel great! I look up to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Prycee so much. Last year told me I could do so much,” she declared.

The dethroned Fraser-Pryce acknowledged after the race that her toe injury was a problem but said she tried her best to block out the discomfort and pain and attempt to create history by winning the 100m final three Olympics in a row. The semi-final round took place 90 minutes before the final, and Ahye was the only TT runner to progress, with Semoy Hackett eliminated on the final hurdle.

In the first of the three semi-final races, Ahye, running in lane five, started slowly but accelerated during the midway phase. However, she was caught by Bowie who edged the Carenage- born runner for the win.

Both Ahye and Bowie, who ran in lane six, completed the race in 10.90.

Hackett’s dream of an Olympic sprint medal ended in the third semi-final.

Drawn in lane two, she had a strong start but faded badly and was only able to finish fifth in 11.20. Thompson was victorious in 10.88, ahead of Gardner (10.90), Blessing Okagbare of Nigeria and Desiree Henry of Great Britain (both 11.09).

On Friday night, Ahye produced the second-fastest time in the preliminary rounds. In heat six, Ahye crossed the finish line in 11 seconds flat, ahead of Williams, who ran 11.27, and Asha Phillip of Great Britain, who clocked 11.34. Hackett participated in heat seven and finished in third spot, with a time of 11.35 seconds. Thompson triumphed in 11.21 while Rosangela Santos of Brazil was next in 11.25.

Hackett was able to advance as one of the eight ‘fastest losers’ but Kelly-Ann Baptiste, the third TT entrant in the women’s 100m, was not as fortunate.

The 29-year-old, who finished sixth in the final at the 2012 London Games, was fourth in heat five in 11.42 seconds, trailing Tianna Bartoletta of the United States (11.23), Ewa Swoboda of Poland (11.24) and Olesya Povkh of Ukraine (11.39).

Baptiste’s time was not quick enough to see her progress to the semis.