Jasmine Camacho-Quinn wins gold in the 100-meter hurdles after the sister of Chicago Bears linebacker Robert Quinn set an Olympic record in the semifinals

Stacy St. Clair, Chicago Tribune
·2 min read
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Puerto Rican hurdler Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, who cheers for the Chicago Bears because her brother is outside linebacker Robert Quinn, will take home a gold medal and an Olympic record after winning the women’s 100-meter hurdles Monday.

Crossing the finish line in 12.37 seconds, Camacho-Quinn stared at the results in seeming disbelief, repeatedly saying, “I did it. I did it.” World record holder Kendra Harrison of the United States took silver, while Jamaica’s Megan Tapper won bronze.

“I am really happy right now,” a tearful Camacho-Quinn said after the race. ”Anything is possible. Everybody out here trained really hard for this moment. I think honestly all of us, we all should be rewarded for this. We made it.”

Camacho-Quinn’s gold medal — the first for Puerto Rico at these Games — came a day after she set an Olympic record of 12.26 seconds during her semifinal race. She hoped to break the world record in the final but clipped a hurdle.

“At this point I was really running for the world record,” she said. “I hit the hurdle, but everything happens for a reason. I came through with the gold. My first gold medal!”

Born in the United States, Camacho-Quinn, 26, is eligible to represent Puerto Rico because her mother is from there. She ran for the University of Kentucky, where she was the Southeast Region runner of the year in 2016 and 2018.

She competed in the 2016 Olympics but was disqualified during the semifinal race after crashing into a hurdle. She referenced that disappointment Sunday after setting the Olympic record.

“Five years ago, I said that I wasn’t going to let that race determine my future, and I think that is a prime example that I came back,” she said.

Camacho-Quinn’s brother, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, is in his second year with the Bears after signing in April 2020. The Bears tweeted congratulations to her after the race, as did wide receiver Marquise Goodwin.