Omar McLeod has won his country’s first ever sprint hurdle Olympic title after clocking 13.05s to win GOLD for Jamaica in men’s 110m hurdles at the ongoing Games in Rio.
The 22-year old was ecstatic, flailing his arms even before getting to the finish line on realizing that he had made history, and was understandably overjoyed draping himself in the Jamaican flag.
McLeod has always been the favourite, dominating the men’s 110m hurdles since last year when he finished 6th in the final at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing.
With less than a month after completing his nationality switch to Spain from Cuba, Orlando Ortega won Silver in 13.17s, with European champion Dimitri Bascou winning Bronze with a time of 13.24s.
Although Usain Bolt will still get the headlines following his heroics in retaining his 100m GOLD, McLeod will not be overlooked in reckoning back in their nation, as he would equally get his own accolades.
McLeod is one of a few athletes to have gone under 13s in the men’s 110m hurdles and also running a sub 10s in the men’s 100m.
