Sport
London 2012: Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake rivalry adds more excitment to track events
Allyson Felix, meanwhile, ran a personal-best 21.69 seconds in 200-meter qualifying, but she also took center stage in the controversy that overshadowed not only that accomplishment but the entire trials, really: How to settle a dead heat for the third and final spot in the women’s 100.
The possibility of a coin flip, of all things, was raised in the scramble to come up with never-thought-about rules. A full week later, the sprinters settled on a runoff; shortly after that finally was decided, Felix’s opponent, Jeneba Tarmoh, pulled out.
Felix will be a long shot for a medal in the 100, while in the 200, she seeks her first individual Olympic gold – the main prize missing from a career that includes three world championships and two runner-up finishes on track’s biggest stage.
“People may wonder, `What in the world? Shelly-Ann ran 10.70 and you’re nowhere close to that,” said Felix, whose personal best in the 100 is 10.92. “But it’s about making my 200 better and giving it my all.”
The woman who beat Felix in Athens and Beijing is Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica, who is going for her third consecutive title at 200 meters, but now finds another familiar face also posing a threat. That’s Fraser-Pryce, who was not considered a 200 specialist but beat Campbell-Brown to the line by 0.32 seconds at trials.
“Trials is just the means to get us to the Olympics,” Campbell-Brown said. “It’s a competitive thing. We all have to show up when it matters the most.”
In Beijing, Jamaica won 11 medals at the track – not bad for a country of about 2.7 million.
