SAINT-DENIS, France — Knocking the reigning Olympic champion from the top spot by less than a second, former University of Oregon sprinter Alaysha Johnson nabbed first place in Friday's women's Olympic 100-meter hurdles semifinals.
Johnson now heads to the finals, where she hopes to once again best Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico, who took home the gold in the event during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Johnson clocked a 12.34 second run in the hurdles, beating Camacho-Quinn by 0.01 seconds. Coming in third place is fellow Team USA member Grace Stark, who raced a 12.39 second hurdles.
World-record holder Tobi Amusan of Nigeria didn’t advance, coming in fifth place with a time of 12.55 seconds.
This serves as somewhat of a redemption story for the sprinter, after two years ago when Johnson hit the first two hurdles in a preliminary race during the World Championships in Eugene, Or. The mistake ended up disqualifying her.
Disaster almost struck again during this year's Olympic Track and Field Trials, when the air bubble in Johnson's Nike Air track spikes burst, making them unusable. Luckily, fellow competitor Tonea Marshall, who finished in fifth place during the trials, lent Johnson a pair of her spikes, allowing her to punch her ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Adding to her uphill battle — and making her Olympic debut all the more impressive — Johnson has hypothyroidism, a gland condition affecting her thyroid that can leave her tired and lethargic after exercising. Because of this, Johnson has an endocrinologist waiting on the sidelines ready to assist if necessary.
Johnson will compete again on Saturday for the 100-meter hurdle finals.
