by Larry EderThis race had been set up at the Jamaican Olympic Trials one month ago and the US Trials six weeks ago. First, Allyson Felix did not make the US 100 meter team and then, in a huge surprise, Veronica Campbell Brown finished fourth in her trials. The rainy day this Thursday has cooled track down for this most anticipated of sprint clashes…here is how I saw it….
With all of the players in the 200 meters in the final, Veronica Campbell Brown came out of the blocks, focused on winning this race, and that is what she did. Coming off the turn with a very strong lead, Campbell Brown continued to build her lead down the track, winning in a personal best of 21.74! Allyson Felix had an okay start and came off the turn in fourth to fifth place, and moved very hard, first past Sherone Simpson of Jamaica, then Marshevet Hooker of the US, then Muna Lee of the US and finally, Kerron Stewart of Jamaica.
But that was all she wrote. Allyson Felix defended her silver Olympic medal from Athens, running 21.93, a seasonal best, just as Veronica Campbell Brown had defended her gold medal from Athens.
In third Kerron Stewart, adding to her 100 meter medal collection, finished third here in 22.00.
The U.S. runner, Muna Lee took fourth in a personal best of 22.01. Marshevet Hooker, also from the U.S., ran her personal best of 22.34 for fifth place, and Sherone Simpson, also of Jamaica, ran 22.36 for sixth place.
A race that lived up to its hype.
Too bad the track fans in the US may see it sometime in the next week, as NBC continues to treat track & field, at its world venue like a fourth class sport. And, on top of that, NBC TV ratings have dropped four points–they will probably blame track & field for that!
