Sport
London 2012: Allyson Felix wins 200 meter gold
Allyson Felix of the United States wins the 200 meter final. PHOTO/AP
Allyson Felix finally won an individual Olympic gold medal, gliding home with her effortless stride to take the 200 meters and end the stranglehold of Veronica Campbell-Brown on the event.
In a biggest race, loaded with gold medalists, American Felix was quickest out of the blocks, and once she had her smooth, elegant stride going, none of the power racers on her inside could come close.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica added silver to her 100 gold medal and Carmelita Jeter took bronze.
Campbell-Brown faded out of contention down the stretch and finished fourth, failing to become the first woman in track and field to win three gold medals in the same individual event at three consecutive Olympics.
Sanya Richards-Ross, who was seeking a 200-400 double, fell back into fifth place but was happy that Felix finally got the Olympic gold medal after two silvers.
“She’s had a very good season and definitely deserves this moment,” Richards-Ross said. “She’s just like me, she’s wanted this for a very long time.”
It was a thrilling U.S. victory in the Jamaica-U.S. sprint rivalry. By the looks of it, though, Jamaica should prevail again in the men’s 200 on Thursday.
