Vincentian Olympian Shafiqua Maloney says she is “definitely hungry for more” after her stunning performance at the Paris games, in which she entered as the 27th fastest woman in the 800m and finished as the 4th.
Maloney was edged out of a place on the podium by .22 seconds during the finals on Monday, which was watched by thousands of Vincentians, including a large crowd gathered at Heritage Square, in Kingstown.
And while Maloney, 25, originally of Richland Park, did not medal, she created history by becoming the first Vincentian to make it to the finals of an Olympic event.
Her fourth-place finish was the highest by a Caribbean athlete in the 800m since 1996, when Ana Quiros, of Cuba, placed second in Atlanta.
On the way to the finals, Maloney also smashed the national record in the 800m.
Maloney finished fourth in the race, which she went into with the fourth fastest time.
The athlete, who struggled through homelessness and lack of money to buy food and pay her coach on her way to the Olympics, ran 1:57.66 in Monday’s finals.
It showed how far she has come since running 2:7.89 in the Toyko Olympics in 2021 when she placed seventh in her first-round heat and failed to advance.
“Of course, I wanted a medal, that would have been the icing on the cake with all that I went through,” she said in a news release after Monday’s final.
“It just didn’t happen, but that’s OK. I’m definitely hungry for more. I know I can definitely run faster and there’s a lot to look forward to.”
The athlete said she did her best but “it wasn’t a perfect race,” Maloney said.
“That was the outcome, but I’m thankful and I’m healthy. I still have opportunities to race this year.”
Maloney charged down the final stretch later after finishing the first lap in 58.7 seconds.
“I was trying to get out wide on the homestretch, but I still got boxed in. I was trying for the longest to get out and just move.
“When I saw a clearing, then I made my move. It wasn’t enough. It was an experience and I learned a lot as always. I’ll definitely be taking it forward.”
Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson won the race in 1:56.72. Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma placed second in 1:57.15.
Mary Moraa of Kenya ran .22 faster than her Vincentian competitor.
In a Facebook post after her race, Maloney said:
“What a climax to an Olympic experience!!! I am proud of the road I travelled to Paris, the journey was indeed filled with many challenges. At the end of it all, I left the stadium with a 4th-place finish and a time of 1:57.66. Thank you for your support Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Next one up!!!”