Dominica working on reward package for Olympic champ Lafond-Gadson

Dominica has big plans to reward Thea Lafond-Gadson after she won the island’s first Olympic medal, a gold in the women’s triple jump on August 3.

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit told Lafond-Gadson in a phone call yesterday that the government is working on a reward package for her.

“We celebrate with you and look forward to celebrating with you even more when you return home. Everyone in Dominica is ecstatic. We will share with you some of the things the government plans to do at the appropriate time,” Skerrit said.

The prime minister said he was glued to his seat watching the triple jump as Lafond-Gadson leaped to a new national record of 15.02 metres. She faced strong competition from the field, which included Jamaican Shanieka Ricketts, who had to settle for silver.

Skerrit said the 30-year-old’s history making accomplishment will serve as inspiration for athletes from the small Eastern Caribbean island.

Lafond-Gadson, the reigning world indoor triple jump champion, said she was “on cloud nine” after the victory.

She thanked Skerrit and Dominicans for their support and prayers.