Shafiqua Maloney, a runner from the island of St Vincent and the Grenadines with a gap of milliseconds, missed out on winning her country its first-ever Olympic medal.
The Athlete from St. Vincent participated in this afternoon’s women’s 800-metre finals.
Maloney, who is the first Vincentian athlete, made a history by reaching into the final at a global level sporting event. During the race she finished in fourth place in a time of 1:57.66.
It was heartbreaking moment for the citizens of St. Vincent and the Grenadines when Maloney finished at fourth position with a gap of few milliseconds.
In the last 200m, Hodgkinson along with Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma and Kenya’s Mary Moraa dragged to the top three, however Maloney missed out.
It is worth noting that Maloney’s semifinal time of 1:57:59 set a record where she secured second place and set a new national record.
Maloney is the first Vincentian to reach an Olympic final in the 800-metre race.
The 25-year-old, who faced homelessness and other challenges before Paris 2024, did well in the first lap by keeping up with the group, which included the race favourite, Keely Hodgkinson from Great Britain.
Also, people across her country gathered to watch her performance together and celebrate the historic moment. Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and members of Cabinet and Parliament were also glued to screens to watch her perform and make the country proud.
Despite not being able to make it to the medal, the people of the country are proud of the performance she has put up, leaving behind all the odds.
In the final race, Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson won in a time of 1:56.72, Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma was second in 1:57.15, and Kenya’s Mary Moraa was third in 1:57.42.
