Camacho-Quinn Wins Gold
Now that the 2021 Tokyo Olympics has come to a close, it’s time to look back at some of the highlights from this summer’s Olympic Games. There were many exciting moments and heartwarming stories. One especially inspiring win belonged to Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn.
What Happened?
On August 2, 2021, Camacho-Quinn won the gold medal in the women’s 100-meter hurdles. She set the Olympic record for the event in her semifinal run. Her victory was an historic victory because it marked Puerto Rico’s first gold medal in track, and only the tenth medal–and second gold–in the island’s history. In 2016, Monica Puig won a gold medal in women’s singles tennis. Though Camacho-Quinn was born in Charleston, South Carolina, she chose to run for the Puerto Rican team to honor her Puerto Rican mother.
Who is Camacho-Quinn?
The two-time Olympian’s parents both competed in track and field while in college. (Interestingly, her brother is Chicago Bears linebacker Robert Quinn.) Camacho-Quinn went on to run for the University of Kentucky. In 2016, in the Rio Olympic semifinals, Camacho-Quinn was disqualified after she hit two hurdles and stumbled. Her family says that this challenge made her work harder and come back even stronger for this year’s games.
Puerto Rico’s Olympic Status
Even though Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States, it can compete at its own entity in the Olympics. That is because the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the administrator of the Olympic Games as an event. In 1948 the IOC recognized Puerto Rico as its own team. The IOC also allowed the U.S. Virgin Islands to compete separately since 1967. It allowed Guam to also do so in 1986 and American Samoa in 1987.