Clayne Lafond didn’t get to see his sister win an Olympic gold medal, but he still experienced a celebration he’ll never forget.
Lafond is a defensive end for Navy, and his sister, Thea, competed for the Dominican Republic in the women’s triple jump in Paris.
On Saturday, Thea won the event, giving the Caribbean island nation not just a gold medal, but its first medal in Olympic history.
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Thea Lafont of the Dominican team celebrates after winning the gold medal in the women’s triple jump final on the eighth day of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Stade de France on August 3, 2024 in Paris, France. (Michael Steele/Getty Images)
While Thea was competing, Crane was at practice when head coach Brian Newberry broke the news.
“Hey, your sister won a gold medal,” Newberry said.
He was then surrounded by the rest of his teammates.
Thea had also won this event at the World Indoor Championships in March this year, so her victory was a given.
Thea Lafont, women’s triple jump gold medalist of the Dominican Republic, poses for a photo with her medal at Champions Park on the 11th day of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, on August 6, 2024. (Carl Lesine/Getty Images)
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“To say it’s really big is an understatement,” Thea said after the victory that gave Dominica a long-awaited medal. “Sometimes you think that because we’re a small country, we have less access to resources. … But we’ve (prioritized) quality and we’ve worked really hard to execute on that.”
Thea, 30, was born in the Dominican Republic but moved to the United States at age 5. Her brother was born in the U.S. and attended Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington, D.C. The Paris Games were her third Olympics.
Thea was actually a dancer before turning to athletics as a teenager after her parents could no longer afford to send her to dance lessons.
She won in 15.02 on her second attempt, while Shaneeka Ricketts of Jamaica took silver in 14.87 and Jasmine Moore of the United States took bronze in 14.67.
Gold medalist Thea Laffont of the Dominican Republic, silver medalist Shanieka Ricketts of Jamaica and bronze medalist Jasmine Moore of the United States celebrate after the women’s triple jump final on the eighth day of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Stade de France in Paris, France on August 3, 2024. (Michael Steele/Getty Images)
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Crane has played in seven games so far and will be in his junior year this season.
Navy went 5-7 last season and 4-4 in AAC play. The 2024 season opens on Aug. 31 against Bucknell.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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