Women’s 200m: Shericka Jackson is a favorite for the women’s 200m, but the Olympic champion Elaine Thompson will look to exert revenge while America’s sprinting sensation Abby Steiner could yet cause an upset 

That is the second within the sequence by Deji Ogeyingbo, on previews of the 2022 World Athletics Outside Champinships, which occurs July 15-24, 2022. This preview is about Deji’s deep ideas on the ladies’s 200 meters, which needs to be stupendous. 

Girls’s 200m: Shericka Jackson is a favourite for the ladies’s 200m, however the Olympic champion Elaine Thompson will look to exert revenge whereas America’s sprinting sensation Abby Steiner may but trigger an upset 

You’ll have to return to 2012 when an Olympic Champion didn’t win the Jamaican trials in each the 100m and 200m. Then Usain Bolt was the undisputed king of the observe as he had claimed triple Olympic Gold in Beijing 2008, and damaged the world report within the males’s 100m and 200m.

So, it felt weird, when in entrance of his house followers, the then world champion Yohan Blake beat Bolt to each titles in entrance of the electrical Jamaican followers who had turn into a hero to the sprinting nation.

Ten years later, the identical situation appears to be enjoying out, and though it nonetheless represents a victory for the Caribbean Island as they most actually can have two medalists within the ladies’s 200m, the defending Olympic Champion within the occasion Elaine Thompson-Herah and the 2021 World chief, Shericka Jackson can have scores to settle once they take to the observe on the Hayward filed in Eugune over the half lap.

Thompson-Herah, the defending double Olympic Champion, has solely misplaced two races over the 200m this yr, with each coming in opposition to Jackson. The primary got here on the Rome Diamond League in June the place Jackson laid down the gauntlet with an astute and warranted efficiency during the last 100m, taking the win from Thompson in 21.91s.

The second got here on the Jamaican trials, a defeat that will have despatched shivers down the spines of Thompson-Herah as she would hope to steal a march on Jackson on the world championships. In the mean time although, Jackson appears unstoppable as seen with the way in which she took the win in 21.55s-the third quickest time of all time (Solely behind Thompson- Herah’s 21.53 and Florence Griffith-Joyner’s 21.34.

The query stays if Jackson can replicate her effective efficiency on the World Championships. The 28-year-Previous fluffed her strains when she misjudged her first-round race within the 200m in Tokyo final yr as she didn’t make it into the semis. Absolution will likely be on the prime of her agenda in Eugene. 

However Thompson-Herah will likely be on a revenge mission. As glittering as her profession is she nonetheless is but to win a gold medal on the World championships. On the final World Championships, she didn’t even deliver house a medal for Jamaica.

Jackson is undoubtedly the overwhelming favourite for the win. She boasts a greater head-to-head in comparison with Thompson-Herah, with the latter profitable edging their duel over the 200m 5-3 after eight conferences. 

One sprinter seeking to throw the cat amongst the pigeons will likely be US Champion, Abby Steiner. The 22-year-Previous who simply turned skilled by signing for present giants Puma has been one of many breakout stars within the observe world this season.

Earlier than signing on to Puma, Steiner fully dominated the ladies’s 200m within the NCAA whereas competing for the College of Kentucky.  Steiner went undefeated within the 200m within the indoor season whereas she continued to stamp her authority within the outside season. 

Ramping up wins in each race she entered, Steiner’s greatest achievement over the half-lap got here in June. On the NCAA Division 1 closing, the American clocked 21.80 to win the 200m, beating Nigeria’s Favour Ofili to the crown. 

A number of weeks later, Steiner beat a extra achieved discipline on the US trials to take the ladies’s title in a brand new Private Better of 21.77s.  In a really perfect situation, Steiner wouldn’t be a shoo-in for the Gold in Eugene, however with such stellar shows over the 200m this season, you simply can’t put in past her to tackle Jackson and Thompson-Herah.

Defending Champion, Dina Asher-Smith appears to be getting again into full swing however has but to dip inside 22s this yr, however her expertise in main championships may simply put her in rivalry to get on the rostrum.

Additionally, Nigeria’s rising star Favour Ofili, who’s the one sprinter to get one over Steiner over the 200m this yr can certain trigger an upset. The World U20 Bronze medalist has run 21.96s this yr, a time that put her at quantity 5 on this season’s prime checklist. 

USA’s Tamara Clark who completed second to Steiner on the US trials has solely raced as soon as exterior North America, however she will get the added benefit of getting run at Hayward discipline for nearly half of her outside races this yr. She too will likely be within the combine.

Total, Olympic Champion Thompson-Herah will likely be seeking to snag her run of not profitable a gold medal at a World Championships. To be able to do this, she must show she remains to be the very best feminine sprinter in Eugene, the identical approach Bolt did over Blake on the London 2012 Olympics.