Bronze medal still surreal: Tapper
Published:Saturday | August 7, 2021 | 12:07 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter
Even as she touched down on home soil as an Olympic bronze medallist, hurdler Megan Tapper says that she is still getting used to the magnitude of what her achievement means to her and her career.
Tapper, 27, returned home Thursday night to the cheers of her family, her husband and coach Matheu Tapper as well as Sports Minister Olivia Grange celebrating her women’s 100m hurdles bronze medal at Tokyo Olympics. With that historic run of 12.55 seconds, Tapper became the first Jamaican to win an Olympic medal in the event.
As much as she has absorbed the congratulations for her success, Tapper says that she is still coming to terms with being an Olympic bronze medallist.
“No, it hasn’t fully sunk in. It comes in like waves,” Tapper said. “One moment I’d be like OK cool, next moment I’d be like (shocked). That’s where I am right now.”
Where she is, is over the moon with her achievement and grateful for the warm welcome that she got as she exited the Norman Manley International Airport.
“I feel absolutely special and grateful. I’m so happy that Minister Grange was here to meet me, my family was here to meet me,” Tapper said.
DIFFICULT CHALLENGE
While she has acknowledged that her bronze medal run was the most difficult challenge of her career, she had an equally tougher task in figuring out how to respond to rapper Nicki Minaj who congratulated her on her success on Twitter after the race.
“Getting the bronze medal was harder but the way how I sit down and bust my brain to try to think what do I say to Nicki. That was hard and I am so grateful,” Tapper said.
It is a milestone that Matheu says will provide a platform for greater things in the future with an eye now towards to 2022 World Championships and beyond. Additionally for Megan, she says that her bronze will be beneficial in getting the required sponsorship to take her to the next level.
“This has really motivated us as team. We have been doing this for two years. We are young to it. The sky is the limit right now,” Matheu said.
“It has not only motivated me but it has brought in the resources and continue to bring in the resources that I need to get to that level. You don’t just get to a certain level in track and field without support and without resources,” Tapper said. “But now that I got the bronze medal, we will have more support from corporate Jamaica, even international sponsors. So I am looking forward to us really using that to the best of our ability to get more.”