by Stuart Weir
Shaunae Miller-Uibo, photo by PhotoRun.net
Jereem Richards, photo by PhotoRun.net
The 200 meters were fascinating in the Commonwealth Games. In the men’s 200 meters, no one was going to be happy. The women’s 800 meters was faster than many had expected. Some amazing depth and speed in the Gold Coast. Here’ Stuart Weir’s commentary for Thursday, April 12, 2018.
Review of Thursday
It was a night of controversy and high drama in the Carrara Athletics Stadium today. The men’s 200m race was “won” by Zarnel Hughes (England) in 20.12 but before he had finished his lap of honor, he had been disqualified.
Hughes had led for most of the race, but in the closing stages his left arm made contact with Trinidad & Tobago’s Jereem Richards in the next lane. The officials decided that Hughes had stepped outside his lane and decided to disqualify Hughes.
Richards gave his account of the incident afterwards: “He was ahead, then when I started to catch him, I felt his hand come across and hit me. I was coming up on him strongly and the hit threw me off my rhythm. I had to slow down. You don’t expect to get hit in a race. It’s never happened to me before. I didn’t panic because finishing is my strongest part of the race.”
Hughes saw it differently: “It was a bit of a nightmare hearing that I had been disqualified for something I didn’t really do. I would never try to impede another athlete. I wouldn’t say it was unfair, it is just the officials opinion. I have to accept it. I found out when I was coming back along the home straight – my team told me. It was a bit heart breaking to hear”.
Immediately after the race, a colleague said to me: “Did you get Hughes’ time?” I said 20.12 but added that there had been contact and that I would not be surprised by a DQ and so it proved.
The women’s 200 was no more predictable but without the drama of the men’s. Shaunae Miller-Uibo (Bahamas) won in 22.09 from Shericka Jackson (Jamaica) with Dinah Asher-Smith (England) getting her first championship podium in third – she had previously been fourth and fifth. Double Olympic champion, Elaine Thompson (Jamaica), was fourth in 22.30, looking anything but the Thompson of 2016 who ran 21.78 in Rio.
Miller-Uibo kept her cards well hidden when she spoke to the press afterwards, saying: “It was a strong field and it was great to cross first.” Asked if she was planning to run 200s this year she replied: “I’m not sure you know, perhaps again later this year but we’re not sure.”
It was a case of what a difference a day makes for Shara Proctor (England) in the Long Jump. In yesterday’s prelims, she came out and jumped 6.89 with her first attempt to make the final. A day later she started Foul, 6.45, 6.28 and finished third with 6.75 in a competition won by Christabel Nettey of Canada.
Finally a word about the women’s 800m heats, which proved to be high quality. The format was first two in each of three heats plus two additional fastest athletes would be in the final. The three winners were
1Caster Semanya 1:59.26
2 Margaret Wambui 2:00.60
3 Emily Tuei 2:00.58
The slowest qualifier ran 2:00.53. Poor old Keely Small ran 2:00.81 in heat 1 and was sixth! 12 of the 26 athletes ran under 2:01.00. Compare that with the London 2017 prelims where only 8/45 ran under 2:01.00. Excellent athletes like Shelayna Oskan-Clark and Lynsey Sharp failed to make the final.
