Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport Editor

Shelly-Ann Fraser of Jamaica reacts as she wins the women's 100-metre final in the Beijing National Stadium. At left is Sherone Simpson, also of Jamaica. - AP

BEIJING:

JAMAICANS CELEBRATED for the second night in a row at the Beijing National Stadium when little-known Shelly-Ann Fraser, a fun-loving 21-year-old from the Waterhouse community in St Andrew, led a historic sweep of the medals in the women's 100 metres final.

A day after Usain Bolt had captured the country's first Olympic 100m gold, the women made the ultimate statement that Jamaica was a top-level sprinting nation.

Fraser won in a personal-best 10.78 seconds in her first individual entry at a big meet.

Clean sweep

Perhaps fittingly, the photo-finish camera could not separate Kerron Stewart, who ran on strongly, and Sherone Simpson at the line. Both were awarded silver medals after clocking 10.98 for joint second.

The result sent statisticians scurrying to their history books. It was the first time a 100m event at the Olympic Games had been swept since the American men won all the medals in 1912. The clean sweep is the sixth in Olympic history, but the first ever in women's athletics.

Minister of Sport Olivia Grange, who was again there to greet the athletes, said her tears flowed freely when she saw Fraser, then Simpson and Stewart hit the finish line.

"Yesterday, it was amazing. Today, I cried," Grange said.

Wolmer's old girl Fraser, coached by Stephen Francis, was a bundle of joy as she faced reporters. She had conquered nervousness and shyness and was now the Olympic champion and had everyone laughing his or her head off with her short, snappy answers. She was inspired by Bolt's run the night before.

"Last night was amazing. I wanted to come out and do the same thing," she said.

She also had high praise for her mother.

"To my mom (Maxine Simpson), I would like to say thank you so much for being there for me. She was even more confident than I was," Fraser, a past student of George Headley Primary, added.

Sherone Simpson, a Manchester High graduate who placed sixth in the Athens Games four years ago, and Stewart both said the victory was for everyone in Jamaica.

"I am really happy that we could have done this for out little country, Jamaica," said Simpson. "We created history and yesterday Usain got the world record while winning the gold medal. It was tremendous.

It's a great feeling. I grew up watching the Olympics and saw how many times Jamaica came very close to getting the gold medal and for us to get one, two, three! Jamaica is saying something and people need to pay attention," Stewart, a St Jago High High past student, said.

She added: "We got the job done for Jamaica. For for all the support they have given us, that's the least we could have done for them."

Fraser, a very fast starter, went with the starter's gun and was never headed. In fact, at the end, she was pulling away from her rivals. Like Bolt the night before, she was celebrating well before she hit the line.

MORE TO COME

After three days of competition in track and field, Jamaica has already equalled its best ever gold medal haul at a single Olympic Games, matching the two in Helsinki in 1952 and the same number in Athens. And there is more to come. The country's sprint relay teams are favourites for gold, Melaine Walker is the odds on for the gold in the 400m hurdles and Bolt the same in the men's 200m.

Jamaica's celebrations hit a small roadblock late Sunday night when the United States lodged a protest about the running of the 100m final.

The Americans asked for a review because of a possible false start by one of their own, Torri Edwards, who ended up last. The appeal, which was later rejected, forced the postponement of the after-race press conference and medal ceremony.