Paris Olympic Games journey continues for Razorbacks

Saint-Denis, France – In Monday’s morning session at Stade de France, four Razorbacks were in action across three events and all advanced in their Paris Olympic journey.

Rojé Stona (discus) and Tina Šutej (pole vault) qualified for their respective finals while Amber Anning and Nickisha Pryce moved on to the 400m semifinal round.

Stona qualified for the discus final with a mark of 214-4 (65.32) that ranked second in group B and was sixth best overall. Stona was one of three Jamaicans to advance to the final, the only country to achieve that feat in Paris.

The three Jamaicans ranked 5-6-7 from the qualifying round with Traves Smikle’s 216-3 (65.91) leading the trio while Ralford Mullings had a toss of 213-10 (65.18).

It’s been 40 years since a country has placed three throwers among the top eight of an Olympic discus final. The United States produced a 2-3-5 finish in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics with Mac Wilkins, John Powell, and Art Burns. The Soviet Union had a 1-5-6 finish in the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

In 1976, prior to boycotts at Moscow and LA Olympics, the USA had a 1-3-8 finish in the 1976 Montreal Olympics while East Germany placed 2-4-5.

Šutej, competing in her fourth Olympic Games, cleared 14-5.25 (4.40) in pole vault qualifying and finished in a nine-way tie for 12th place. So, there will be 20 vaulters in Wednesday’s final.

Eleven vaulters cleared 14-11 (4.55) in the qualifying round while the rest of the crew reaching the final navigated 14-5.25 (4.40). Six additional vaulters making 14-5.25 did not advance due to previous misses.

The fastest first round time in women’s Olympic 400m history prior to today was 50.06 set by Marileidy Paulino of Dominican Republic in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. While it changed hands a couple of times today, Paulino ended up regaining that status.

In the first heat, Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain posted a 49.91. Pryce followed with a 50.02 to claim the second heat from lane 8 over a 50.36 by Laviai Nielsen of Great Britain. Then Anning followed in heat three with a 49.68 from lane 8 over a 49.96 by Netherland’s Lieke Klaver.

Anning, who was just off her career best of 49.51 from earlier this season, posted third fastest time by a British sprinter in an Olympics 400m behind a 49.43 by Kathy Cook Smallwood for bronze in 1984 and a 49.62 for Christine Ohuruogu that claimed gold in 2008.

Paulino claimed heat five in 49.42 to reclaim the fastest first round time. Anning was second overall with Pryce sixth.

Alexis Holmes, who trains in Fayetteville, placed second in the sixth and final heat with a 50.35 behind a 50.09 for Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke.