Carmelita Jeter in action in the 200m semi-finals (© Getty Images)
Daegu, Korea - One certain thing can be predicted following the women’s 200m semi-finals – the final is going to be memorable.
Double Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica and triple World champion Allyson Felix, both frustrated in their ambitions of golden doubles here following defeats at 100 and 400m respectively, met in the middle here, with the Jamaican finishing narrowly ahead.
Campbell-Brown, composed before and after the race, won in 22.53. Felix, serious beforehand, was bouncy and smiley at the end after clocking 22.67.
The way the US runner relaxed over the closing 30 metres as she floated home behind the pumping arms of her Jamaican rival made it clear that there will be no guarantee of a similar result in tomorrow’s final.
Particularly not, given the presence of two other Americans who go into the final as the fastest qualifiers having won their semis in fine style.
Carmelita Jeter, already 100m champion here, turned the opening 200m semi-final into a statement of intent as she finished five metres clear of the field despite slowing her efforts over the final quarter of the race.
The American got away to an efficient start and was clear of her nearest challenger, Sherone Simpson, as the field arrived in the straight. The Jamaican eventually finished second in 22.88.
There was a similar US-Jamaica finish in the next semi-final as Jeter’s compatriot, Shalonda Solomon – who heads this year’s world lists with 22.15 - finished well clear of Kerron Stewart, at first clocking the same time as Jeter but then seeing it rounded down to 22.46, which turned out to be the swiftest time of the round.
Unlike Jeter, however, Solomon looked like she was maintaining maximum effort to the line to stay ahead of the Olympic and World silver medallist, who finished in 22.77.
Hrystyna Stuy and Bahamas’s 35-year-old Debbie Ferguson McKenzie, who won the World title in 2001, profited from being in the swiftest semi to take the two fastest loser places in the final, with the Ukraine sprinter producing a personal best of 22.79 for third place, and the Bahamian one position behind her in 22.85.
There was disappointment for France’s Myriam Soumare, who had run a season’s best of 22.71 in winning her morning heat, as she went out after finishing fifth in the opening heat in 23.02.
Ivet Lalova, too, had cause for regret after her season’s best of 22.62 had made her the second fastest runner of the morning behind Campbell-Brown. The Bulgarian took her leave after finishing in 23.03.
Mike Rowbottom for the IAAF
