Atheltics Weekly

EVENT-BY-EVENT PREVIEW – WOMEN
@athleticsweekly
THOMPSON’S LONDON TARGET
100m
DOUBLE Olympic sprint
champion Elaine Thompson
focused on the 200m in the
2015 World Championships,
but she is a huge favourite in
her world 100m debut.
She has not lost a short
sprint for over two years and is
over a metre faster than anyone
else in 2017.
The next two in the rankings
are Trinidad’s Michelle-Lee
Ahye, who has been top six in
the last two major events but
looks in better shape this year,
as does Murielle Ahoure, who
medalled in 2013.
Tori Bowie was second
in Rio, won the US
Championships and leads a
strong US trio, with Deejah
Stevens and Ariana Washington
also possible finalists along with
BOWIE THE FAVOURITE OVER HALF LAP
200m
THIS looks a very open race.
Olympic champion Elaine
Thompson, who narrowly lost
in Beijing, is focusing on the
100m and 4x100m but seemed
to forget the longer sprint when
she had a heavy loss in Eugene.
Tori Bowie won that race in a
mightily impressive 21.77.
She was less impressive in
the American championships
final but by then had already
won the 100m.
Second to her in Eugene
was Olympic 400m champion
Shaunae Miller-Uibo and that
was the Bahamian’s only 200m
loss in the last two years so
she could be on for a double
win at London. She was fourth
at 200m in 2013 and has
improved since, but may be
Elaine Thompson: Olympic
champion is big favourite
three other Jamaicans, Simone
Facey, Jura Levy and Natasha
Morrison.
Dafne Schippers will lead the
European challenge. However,
after a second in Beijing, she
was only fifth in the Rio 100m
but with a good start could
return to the medals in London.
tired from her 400m efforts.
Defending champion Dafne
Schippers was a well beaten
fourth in Eugene, but she
looked in better shape when
Tori Bowie: world leader
German Gina Luckenkemper
and Switzerland’s Mujinga
Kambundji look the best of the
other Europeans.
It could take a sub-11 effort
to make the final. British trials
winner Asha Philip would need
a huge PB to make it, but
her indoor form suggested a
she won in Oslo and Lausanne
and will aim to go one better
than in Rio.
The second and third
Americans, Deejah Stevens and
Kimberlyn Duncan, should be in
the mix in the final too.
A few athletes, who are also
focusing on the 100m, may
find it hard to last six races but
Marie-Josée Ta Lou, Michelle-
Lee Ahye, Murielle Ahoure and
Mujinga Kambundji might have
nothing to lose.
None of the three Britons
selected are ranked among the
world top 50 this year.
Dina Asher-Smith ran 22.07
in the 2015 Worlds final and
matched that fifth place in the
Olympics but a serious injury
means she is unlikely to be
anywhere near that form in
London. She is improving race
Event statistics
World record: 10.49 Florence
Griffith-Joyner (USA)
Champs record: 10.70 Marion
Jones (USA)
Defending champion: Shelly-Ann
Fraser Pryce (JAM)
British interest: Desiree Henry,
Daryll Neita, Asha Philip
AW prediction: 1 Thompson (JAM);
2 Bowie (USA); 3 Ahye (TTO)
History: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is
the only three-time gold medallist.
breakthrough was feasible.
Daryll Neita is certainly a
potential finalist of the future
and she has improved race
by race and should make the
semi-finals this time.
Desiree Henry was in good
shape in April with an 11.09
clocking but has looked well
short of that form since and it
would be a surprise if she got
near the final. SS
by race though and may make
the final where a sub 22.5 could
be sufficient.
Both Shannon Hylton and
Bianca Williams could make the
semi-finals on their very best
form. SS
Event statistics
World record: 21.34 Florence
Griffith-Joyner (USA)
Champs record: 21.63 Dafne
Schippers (NED)
Defending champion: Schippers
British interest: Dina Asher-Smith,
Shannon Hylton, Bianca Williams
AW prediction: 1 Bowie (USA); 2
Schippers (NED); 3 Miller-Uibo (BAH)
History: Allyson Felix won three
successive gold medals and won a
bronze in 2011. However, the most
overall successful athlete is Merlene
Ottey who won two titles and six
successive medals between 1983
and 1997.
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