Roseau, Dominica: Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit extended his heartfelt wishes to Thea Lafond as she won Dominica’s first World Athletics gold medal at the World Athletics Indoor Championships.

Her dedication towards the championship made her the first-ever athlete hailed from Dominica to win a world title at such a prestigious level. The athlete marked a milestone as she flew to 15.01m in the triple jump finals and claimed both the gold medal and the world lead.

The event was held in Glasgow, Great Britain, and Northern Ireland from March 1 to 3, 2024. The entire Dominican community expressed their joy for the unwavering commitment and dedication of athlete Lafond in the field of sports.

The prime minister of Dominica took to his official social media handle (Facebook) to congratulate her on her victory.

“Thea Lafond has won Dominica’s first World Athletics gold medal in the Women’s Triple Jump at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow. Congratulations Champ! Dominica celebrates you”, remarked PM Skerrit.

She defeated Leyanis Hernandez, who reached a season-best of 14.90 m. In the press conference, she expressed her desire to win the gold medal as Julien Alfred from Saint Lucia, and she kept her word. She proved her worth by her untiring hard work.

Athlete Lafond received an appreciation from other leaders of the Caribbean Nations. The Deputy Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Ernest Hilaire, extended a greeting to Lafond for her achievement.

“Help me extend congratulations to Thea La Fond, and by extension the people of Dominica, who captured gold in the Women’s Triple Jump at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Glasgow, Scotland,” said Minister Hilaire.

The people across the nation couldn’t keep calm as they were filled with joy. They extended their congratulations to Lafond by commenting on PM Skerrit’s Facebook post.

While reacting to the news, a person named Ronald Robin commented, “Congratulations. What an amazing achievement. The country should do something to recognized her achievement. Very proud.”

Another FB user, by the name of Anthony Meade, wrote, “Congratulations to you and your accomplishments keep it up miss Thea Lafond only in the commonwealth of Dominica.”