Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah claimed the Olympic 200m title with a national record time of 21.53 to pick up her second gold medal of the Tokyo Games on Tuesday.
The 29-year-old, who claimed the 100m title on Saturday, has now repeated the individual medal haul she claimed at Rio five years ago. She is now the first female athlete to complete the ‘double double’ in the main Olympic sprint events.
Meanwhile, teenage sprinter Christine Mboma from Namibia claimed the silver medal with a time of 21.81, with Team USA’s Gabrielle Thomas 0.06 seconds behind the 18-year-old to get the bronze.
The USA’s Gabrielle Thomas completes the podium in an amazing Olympic debut.
Thompson-Herah’s Jamaica team-mate Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce had to settle for fourth spot despite competing with the race winner for first as they entered the final straight.
But Thompson-Herah held off all of her opponents on Tuesday to record a personal best time which confirmed her status as the undisputed top female sprinter in the world.
She told BBC Sport after the race: ‘I just need to sleep! I haven’t slept since the 100 metre final but I still had the composure to come out here.
‘It took a lot out of me. I’m a two-time Olympian! I’m so happy! I was begging for the line.
‘I’ve set a barrier for the other generations. We have more athletes coming through from Jamaica, for me to set this barrier means a lot to me.
‘My coach has supported me a lot, physically and mentally, and everyone who has come out here to support me, a big thank you to them.’
Her quest to claim 200m gold was aided by Team GB star and 2019 world champion Dina Asher-Smith pulling out of the event before it even started as the 25-year-old Brit picked up a hamstring injury during her 100m bid.
Meanwhile, Jamaican athlete Shericka Jackson crashed out of the 200m running on Monday after she jogged over the finish line in the heats, with her time failing to qualify for the semi-finals by fourth thousandths of a second.
As the runners quickly got off the mark at the gun, Thompson-Herah and Fraser-Pryce were the two stand-out runners as they bent into the final straight.
While Thompson-Herah used her winning experience and momentum to take her to the line, Fraser-Pryce ended up fading in the race as surprise contender Mboma and American athlete Thomas overtook her in the final moments.
Tuesday evening’s celebrations, however, belonged to Thompson-Herah who crossed the line with the second-fastest 200m women’s time in history.
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