Paris 2024: São Tomé and Príncipe’s Sports Minister wins Heat 3 in Women’s 100m

In a surprising turn at the ongoing 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, São Tomé and Príncipe’s Minister of Sports and Tourism, Gorete Semedo, competed for her country in the Women’s 100m preliminary round and emerged first.

Gorete, who was in lane 9, finished Heat 3 with a time of 11.44 seconds, likely qualifying her for the next round.

She outpaced Guadalupe Torrez from Bolivia, who placed second, and Leonie Beu from Papua New Guinea.

It marks the first time the 27-year-old is representing her country at the Olympics, having previously competed at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics in London and the 2019 African Games in Rabat.

She was appointed as the head of the Sports Ministry of the country in 2022.