USA versus the Caribbean with a certain British World Champion, the women’s 200m promises to be one of the events of the Olympic Games.
Schedule
Monday 2 August 02:30 UK Time (Heats) Monday 2 August 11:25 UK Time (Semifinals) Tuesday 3 August 13:50 UK Time (Final)
2021 Top Times
| 2021 Ranking | Time | Athlete | Country |
| 1 | 21.61 | Gabrielle Thomas | USA |
| 2 | 21.79 | Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce | Jamaica |
| 3 | 21.82 | Shericka Jackson | Jamaica |
| 4 | 21.89 | Jenna Prandini | USA |
| 5 | 21.95 | Anavia Battle | USA |
| 6 | 21.98 | Tamara Clark | USA |
| 7 | 22.02 | Elaine Thompson-Herah | Jamaica |
| 8 | 22.03 | Shaunae Miller-Uibo | Bahamas |
| 9 | 22.06 | Dina Asher-Smith | GB & NI |
| 10 | 22.11 | Sha’Carri Richardson | USA |
British interest
Dina Asher-Smith and Beth Dobbin make up the British team. Dobbin is the 46th quickest athlete this year but has run 22.50 which would put her 21st this year. She will hope to reach the semifinals and see what happens. Asher-Smith as the reigning world champion will be going for gold.
The favourites
Gabby Thomas of the USA has catapulted herself into gold medal contention by running under 22 seconds in the heats, semis and final of the Olympic trials. Only Flo Jo (Florence Griffith-Joyner) has ever run quicker. Yet for my money she still isn’t the favourite, just because she hasn’t run under 21 seconds outside that meet.
Her competitors have been here and done it, with the Jamaica trio all genuine shouts for gold. Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce has never won 200m Olympic gold but has shown serious shape in winning the Jamaican trials. Shericka Jackson is flying and has only been defeated in that race, winning in Stockholm and Székesfehérvár too. Elaine Thompson-Herah has shown impressive form over 100m but not quite to the same extent over this distance. That said she’s the reigning Olympic Champ and seems to be rounding into form. She won in Gateshead over 200m and Székesfehérvár over 100m in her two most recent outings.
Jenna Prandini and Anavia Battle, like Thomas, ran significant personal bests in the US trials and whilst likely to compete I struggle to see that being for gold or silver.
400m Olympic Champ Shaunae Miller-Uibo has highlighted that she is targeting the 200m and has only lost to Shericka Jackson this year. She will be well in contention and ran 21.74 in 2019.
Finally last but not least is Dina Asher-Smith, the world champion who has only raced twice this year over 200m. She is yet to lose over any distance and could well break her own British record (21.88). She may need to to nab the gold but whisper it quietly I think she may well do it.
Our medal predictions
- Dina Asher-Smith
- Elaine Thompson-Herah
- Shaunae Miller-Uibo
Records
WR: 21.34 Florence Griffith-Joyner (1988)
OR: 21.34 Florence Griffith-Joyner (1988 Seoul)
Featured image “DOH60224 200m women final asher-smith brown” by babbo1957 is licensed under CC BY 2.0
