Jamaica's Junelle Bromfield on Monday qualified for the semi-finals of the women's 400m the day after her partner Noah Lyles was crowned Olympic 100m champion in a dramatic race. Bromfield was on hand to embrace Lyles after his dramatic victory on Sunday, winning in 9.79sec in a photo-finish from Bromfield's teammate Kishane Thompson. "The double is alive!!" she posted on Instagram after Lyles' victory alongside a loveheart and a picture of the full-hearted, trackside embrace. It wasn't clear whether Bromfield's reference to the double was to Lyles' chances in the 200m or her own in the 400m. A bronze medallist in the mixed 4x400m relay at the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games, Bromfield finished third in her heat won by breakthrough Irish one-lap runner Rhasidat Adeleke. The 400m semi-finals are scheduled for 1845 GMT on Wednesday, with the final slated for 1800 on Friday.
After a tough season, quarter-miler Junelle Bromfield will have her shot on the Olympic stage as an individual competitor, something that has left her with a lot more confidence and self-belief. Bromfield, Stacey-Ann Williams and national champion and record holder Nickisha Pryce will open their campaign in the women’s 400-metre heats tomorrow at 4:55 a.m. Bromfield ran a personal best, 50.74 seconds, in the semifinals of the national championships in June before finishing third in the final, booking her ticket to Paris. Bromfield said earning her spot was a weight off. “I said at trials it felt as if a burden was lifted off my shoulders and I still feel like that right now. I am just running with a lot more love than I was before,” Bromfield told The Sunday Gleaner.
Bromfield, at the Tokyo Games three years ago, was a member of the mixed 4x400-metre relay after a season where she had every chance to claim an individual spot. “In 2021 I felt as if I was having the season of my life but I didn’t get to do an individual event and I feel as if that every coach peaks you for a championship. So when you run the relay, I don’t think that you ever can get to see your full potential, so I am looking forward to seeing what I have. The Olympics is the biggest event in any sport. I am anxious but I believe in myself.” That belief is driving her to make her mark on the field. With her national teammate Pryce entering the games as the world leader and national record holder, she is not only proud to be able to boast that a Jamaican has gone 48 seconds, but hopes it will inspire her to go faster. “People always ask me what the national record for Jamaica is and I usually say 49.30. And they would be like ‘oh I thought it was faster’. I am happy that it is 48 now. Now I can brag,” Bromfield said. “I feel like it is an Olympic year and fast times always run in an Olympic year. So hopefully that, and she will pull me to a faster time.”
Nickisha Pryce got her quest for a medal in the women’s 400m at the Paris Olympics off to a smooth start on Monday, winning her first round heat in 50.02 seconds at Stade de France to lead all three Jamaicans through to the semi-finals. Stacey-Ann Williams was second in her heat in a season’s best 50.16 seconds while Junelle Bromfield was third in her heat in 51.36 seconds. Pryce, the world leader with 48.57 seconds set two weeks ago at the London Diamond League, was not pushed in her heat, beating Great Britain’s Laviai Nielsen who was second in 50.36 seconds and Norway’s Henriette Jaeger who was third in 50.39 seconds. Williams finished behind former 400m world champion Salwa Eid Naser who won with 49.91 seconds while Romania’s Andrea Miklos got the other qualifying spot with a personal best 50.54 seconds. Bromfield was forced to run hard over the final 50 metres in her race to snatch third place and avoid having to go to the repechage round. Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke, the European championships silver medallist, won the heat in 50.09 seconds ahead of American Alexis Holmes who was second in 50.35 seconds. Of note, two-time world champion Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic leads the qualifying with 49.42 seconds ahead of Pryce’s former University of Arkansas teammate Amber Anning of Great Britain, 49.68 seconds.
Nickisha Pryce impressed on the track as she headlined a Jamaican trio, including Stacey Ann Williams and Junelle Bromfield, that snagged automatic qualification spots in the heats of the women's 400 metres. Pryce was the fastest Jamaican in qualifying as she was in cruise control to win heat two comfortably, stopping the clock in 50.02 seconds. Williams ran a season's best of 50.16 to finish second in heat one, behind the speedy Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain who won in 49.91. Bromfield took the last automatic qualifying spot in the event's final heat as she sped to 51.36 to finish behind American Alexis Holmes, 50.35, and Irish athlete Rhasidat Adeleke, 50.09.
Bromfield's journey to the 400m semi-finals has been a testament to her resilience and unwavering belief in herself. She is now set to compete in the semi-finals on Wednesday, looking to secure a place in the final and potentially earn a medal at her first individual Olympic event. The world will be watching as she aims to replicate the success of her partner Noah Lyles and make history on the global stage.
