TOKYO, Japan – Megan Tapper became the first-ever Jamaican woman to win an Olympic medal in the women’s sprint hurdles when she defied the odds to claim a magnificent bronze at the 2o2o Tokyo Games on Monday.

Her success adds to the clean sweep of medals in the women’s 100m final on Saturday night, taking the tally to four: one gold, one silver and two bronze.

The race was won by Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn in 12.37 seconds, with American World Record holder Kendra Harrison taking second in 12.52 seconds, and Tapper on the outside in 12.55 seconds, just outside her personal best of 12.53 seconds.

Fourth place went to Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan in 12.60 seconds.

Jamaica’s second entrant in the final, 20-year-old rising star Britany Anderson, had a troubled trip and finished in eighth place in 13.24 seconds, a far cry from the new personal best of 12.40 seconds she set in the semi-final win over Harrison.

The shock of the day came in the women’s first round 200m where Jamaica stood an outstanding chance of repeating the clean sweep of the 100m.

Sadly and inexplicably, Shericka Jackson took being conservative a bit too far and was caught napping to finish fourth in 23.26 seconds, being just edged out by Italy’s Dalia Kaddari in 23.26 seconds, by 4/100 of a second.

Her compatriots Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Herah booked their places in the semis with ease, and showed in no uncertain manner that they will be the ones to beat in the final after impressing in their semi-final heats later in the evening.

Fraser-Pryce made all to win her semis in 22.13secs, while Thompson running blindly from lane nine in her semis wasted no time or effort in equalling her personal best with a 21.66 seconds effort.

The day started badly as Aisha Praught-Leer finished in 13th place in heat two of the women’s 1,500m round one heat in 4:15.31 minutes, and Shadae Lawrence was seventh in the women’s discus final with 62.12m.

In the evening session, Christopher Taylor advanced to his first Olympic Games 400m final after an excellent season’s best 44.92 seconds effort which placed him second for an automatic spot behind American Michael Cherry (44.44secs) in semi-final two.

Taylor remained on the ground for some time after his race and was attended to be medical personnel who wheeled him off in a chair. Reports are that he suffers from asthma and had some difficulty and was attended to by the medics as a precaution.

His teammate Demish Gaye finished fourth in semi-final three in 45.09 seconds but that was nowhere good enough to make the final.

In the women’s 400m hurdles semis, Janieve Russell ran a controlled race to finish second in 54.10 seconds behind American Dalilah Muhammad in 53.30 seconds.

Tajay Gayle performed courageously in the men’s long jump final, but his injured left knee did not allow him to jump farther than 7.69m which left him in 11th position, having fouled his first two attempts.