With Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce already retired, and Shericka Jackson and Elaine Thompson-Herah now in their early 30s, nearing the final stage of their careers, fans thought Jamaica was running out of stars. And just then, a 21-year-old Tina Clayton made Jamaica proud at the Rabat Diamond League, showing the Americans that the next wave is already pushing through.

Initially, hopes of Jamaica winning in Rabat were not high as Fastest Woman Alive Shericka Jackson pulled out of the tournament just a day before. On the other hand, America had high hopes of a win in Rabat, but McKenzie Long, the 26-year-old sprinter with a personal best of 10.91, finished fifth in 11.19.

However, Jamaica produced a full sweep in the women’s 100m, led by Clayton, who won in a season-best 10.85 seconds. While it is still short of her personal best of 10.76, it showed her progress after her earlier season best of 10.98. However, the long-standing meeting record of 10.83, set by Elaine Thompson-Herah, still remains untouched.

Behind Clayton, Lavanya Williams ran a personal best of 10.95 to take second place, while Jonielle Smith completed an all-Jamaican podium in 11.00. A clean 1-2-3 in a Diamond League final is not common. It shows depth, not just a one-star result.

“I think it was a solid performance overall. I am happy with the result, especially because I managed to get a Season Best, which shows I am moving in the right direction. However, I still need to fix a few things,” Tina Clayton said after the race.

She further added, “The biggest challenge I faced is the level of competition, especially when you line up against strong athletes; everyone is there to win, so you really have to be at your best. The crowd was fantastic; I really enjoyed the energy and the support from the fans. Looking ahead, my main goal for the rest of the season is to stay healthy and keep improving.”

This result fits into a bigger picture of where women’s sprinting stands right now! Even in 2025, Shericka Jackson took the women’s 100m at the Rabat Diamond League, keeping that winning line going.

Jamaica still has elite history at the very top. Elaine Thompson-Herah’s 10.54 and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s 10.60 remain among the fastest 100m times ever recorded. But Tina is coming close to it.

But apart from a few popular names, America is still not consistently matching Jamaica across full finals. If any American is currently closing that gap, it is Melissa Jefferson-Wooden. At the same time, when you compare it with Jamaica’s all-time level, America is still far from that legendary standard set by Florence Griffith-Joyner, who still holds the world records in the 100m (10.49) and 200m (21.34). Right now, the only athlete regularly going head-to-head with Jamaican sprinters at the very top is Jefferson-Wooden.

She is sitting just below Elaine’s record in the world in the 100m. Last year, she showed it on the biggest stage. At the 2025 World Championships 100m final, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden ran 10.61 to win gold, while Tina Clayton of Jamaica ran 10.76 for silver. The gap was 0.15 seconds!

Even now, the 2026 season rankings show how tight things are. Jamaica’s Shenese Walker has already gone 10.80, Tina Clayton is right behind her, and Shawnti Jackson from the United States is around 10.90. The order keeps shifting, and the margins stay small, but America is trailing.

At the same time, earlier expectations around America were once shaped by Sha’Carri Richardson, who looked like the main hope after running 10.65 in 2023. At that point, it felt like she could consistently challenge the Jamaican block. But since then, she has not improved on that mark, and this season she has not yet raced in the 100m, which has left Melissa Jefferson-Wooden as the most consistent American name at the top level right now.

So the bigger picture is simple. Jamaica still has more depth in women’s sprinting, while America’s challenge is more centered around a single consistent front-runner in Jefferson-Wooden. But at the same time, Rabat showed that America still made a strong mark in the men’s event.

Kenny Bednarek made the USA proud

Kenny Bednarek gave America a strong statement in Rabat, winning the men’s 200m with a meet record. He secured his first Diamond League win of the season in style, clocking 19.69 seconds to take victory in a tightly fought race.

Behind him, reigning Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo pushed hard but had to settle for second in 19.96 seconds, while South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile took third in 20.03. But what stood out most was how Bednarek handled the race. Tebogo came with a strong finish, but Bednarek did not fade. Instead, he stayed composed and crossed the line first while breaking the meet record.

After the race, Bednarek said, “I didn’t expect to run that fast, but I knew I had a good sub-20 in me. Being in China running those 100m’s felt easy to me; I was making a few mistakes here and there, but I learned. I just came out here to my baby and executed the race. I will be focusing on both distances this year.”

He further added, “Being able to go against the best, I mean, I am one of the best, but I like competing, so I can’t wait for another year…”

Rabat, in the end, did not just show one story. Jamaica showed depth, America showed a clear leader in Jefferson-Wooden, and Bednarek showed that he is still very much in the fight at the top.