by Stuart Weir
Stuart Weir loves traveling to the Rome DL. Travel post-pandemic still has its issues, but the chance to watch a meet in the Stadio Olympico, with the crazy warm up track, is sometimes worth the effort.
In this second article on the meet, Stuart writes about the women’s 200 meters.
Shericka Jackson, Rome DL, June 9, 2022, photo by Diamond League AG
Women’s 200m
The race of the night looked like being the women’s 200 meters, which boasted a stellar field. Britain’s Beth Dobbin, who finished ninth, summed it up well, saying: “The majority of the line-up was people I have looked up to for years, as idols. So I thought ‘what a privilege to be in that race'”. It did not disappoint.
There was a 200m Olympic champion, Elaine Thompson-Herah. There was 200m World Champion, Dina Asher-Smith. There was Shaunae Miller-Uibo, the double Olympic champion at 400. There was Marie-Josée Ta Lou. And there was Allyson Felix, who, with Veronica Campbell-Brown, dominated the event for years. Pity Felix didn’t add her husband’s surname to become double-barreled like the others. The winner seemed certain to come from that group. But Shericka Jackson did not get the memo! And she isn’t double-barreled either.
The result was
1 Shericka Jackson 21.91
2 Elaine Thompson-Herah 22.25
3 Dina Asher-Smith 22.27
4 Shaunae Miller-Uibo 22.48
5 Marie-Josée Ta Lou 22.77
6 Mujinga Kambundji 22.80
7 Allyson Felix 22.97
Jackson dismissed the significance of beating Olympic Champion, Thompson-Herah, saying: “Tonight my focus was on myself, and I was victorious and I am grateful”. I asked her if she was the Fred Kerley of women’s sprints, equally comfortable at 100, 200, or 400 – she has Olympic bronze medals at 100 and 400. She told me: “I think I am better at 200 [than 100] as I am a 400 runner. I am running 100 and 200 at national trials, so I will see how trials go. I ran 2 X 400s already this year and I think that is it [for the 400] but if at the World Championships they want me to run a leg of the 4 by 400, I will do it.
“I have been training with quarter milers and definitely enjoying it. Despite sprinting, I do enjoy the 400, and people say, ‘why not try all of them when you are so do at all of them?'”
Ominously, Jackson said she had two Olympic medals but needed a global gold medal.
Dina Asher-Smith gave a very sensible assessment of her performance: “I am actually happy with where I placed in that race and with the race that I executed. It was a really stellar field, and you never know what women of that caliber are going to do. So I was happy to finish quite high.
“I am happy with that run at this point in the season. We have three champs and I intend to perform well at all of them when you have that kind of year, you have to remain focused. Nobody remembers what happened in May last year, but they remember the Olympics. You need to stay focused”.
Elaine Thompson said: “This race was a good one. I ran a season´s best, I cannot complain. I still have to work on some stuff. Now I concentrate on my nationals, and I am looking forward to the World Championships”.
Allyson told me: “The race wasn’t good but I am so happy that I came for one last time. There was a phenomenal group of women out there”. Did she wish a 25-year-old Allyson could have been in the race, rather than the 36-year-old? “Absolutely, but Father Time is undefeated. We all have our moments, and this new group of women will continue to make the sport shine”.
