media_artricles :: 2015

200 Blinder!

Thompson 2nd to Schippers on 'Jamaica Day'

Elaine Thompson came close to handing Jamaica a second straight sweep of the IAAF World Championship sprints at the Bird's Nest Stadium here in Beijing, China, yesterday. But a strong finish from Dafne Schippers stole women's 200 metres gold from Thompson, the Dutchwoman getting home in a Championship and national record time of 21.63 seconds.

Like Schippers, Thompson also put down a blinder, the 23-year-old sprinter seizing silver in 21.66, just two-hundredths of a second outside Merlene Ottey's 21.64 Jamaica record.

With her 21.63 clocking, Schippers jumped from 28th to third on the all-time world performance list, trailing only Americans Florence Griffith-Joyner, the world record holder at 21.34 seconds, and Marion Jones (21.62). “Flo Jo” died in 1998 at the age of 38.

Ottey is fourth on the all-time list, with Thompson in fifth spot.

Veronica Campbell-Brown was not close to her 21.74 personal best in yesterday's final. But the 21.97 run she produced gave Jamaica's 2011 200m world champion bronze.

Schippers, who picked up silver behind Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in Monday's 100m final, is a converted heptathlete. The multi-event strength came in handy in the half-lap championship race as she had to come from behind to get the better of Thompson, whose 21.66 scorcher would have been good enough for gold at any previous edition of the IAAF World Championships.

The newest Jamaican sprint star was thrilled with her performance.

“Wow, wow, wow! I am not disappointed at all that I did not win because I come home with a medal. I am very, very pleased. I cannot complain about this silver medal.

“After 100 metres,” Thompson continued, “I fought to keep away Schippers but I could not run faster than I did. I would like to thank (coach) Stephen Francis for his support.”

Schippers, whose jaw-dropping 21.63 run is the fastest time in the event in 17 years, was elated.

“I hoped before coming here for the gold medal and for a time under 22 seconds. I did it both, but I can't believe it. What a race, what a tournament for me. I stayed relaxed the last 30, 40 metres and that's why I won.”

Usain Bolt and Fraser-Pryce both recorded the sprint double at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, Russia, the double-double underlining Jamaica's status as The global sprint power.

Bolt repeated here in Beijing, winning the men's 100m and 200m events, while Fraser-Pryce retained her 100m title but opted out of the 200m. Thompson, who trains with Fraser-Pryce, adequately filled the void, missing out on gifting Jamaica back-to-back World Championship sprint sweeps by just three-hundredths of a second.

In the space of 35 minutes, last night, the Jamaicans picked up four medals.

Following the successes of Thompson and Campbell-Brown, Hansle Parchment snapped up silver in the men's 110m hurdles in 13.03 seconds. Parchment finished behind Russia's Sergey Shubenkov, the gold medallist in a national record time of 12.98, and ahead of American world record holder Aries Merritt, the bronze medallist in 13.04.

And in the final event on the programme, the women's 100m hurdles championship race, Danielle Williams clocked a personal best 12.57 seconds to grab Jamaica's fourth gold medal at Beijing 2015.

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