EUGENE, Ore. — Sha’Carri Richardson knew she was beat.
The American sprint sensation slowed down as she approached the finish line, admitting she didn’t have enough energy left to chase down any of the three women in front of her.
Gabby Thomas showed her class in the highly anticipated women’s 200-meter final at the U.S. Olympic trials, comfortably winning first place in 21.81 seconds. Brittany Brown and McKenzie Long also booked their tickets to Paris on Saturday by finishing second and third, respectively.
Richardson settled for fourth place in 22.16 seconds, dashing her hopes of attempting a sprint double in Paris later this summer. She had already established herself as favorite for Olympic gold in the women’s 100m when she dominated that event during the opening weekend of the trials.
While Thomas, Brown and Long shared a happy hug after crossing the finish line, Richardson was gracious in defeat. She wore a smile on her face and applauded her compatriots on their way to Paris.
What does Richardson think about focusing only on the 100 in Paris? Did his legs get heavy on Saturday after running three 100 events and three 200 events in eight days? Only Richardson knows these answers. She did not speak to reporters Saturday, just as she did not during the Olympic trials.
It’s no surprise to see Thomas take victory in the women’s 200m. This race has been his specialty for a long time. Thomas won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics in the 200m and took silver at last year’s world championships. She then opted not to run the 400m last weekend at the trials to ensure her legs were fresh for her signature race.
“Sitting out the first part of the trials took a lot of discipline and patience to be able to run a really good 200,” Thomas said. “It was really hard for me to watch that 400. I was here in Eugene just training. But I think ultimately it was the right decision.”
The fact that Richardson also failed to catch Brown and Long is considered a bigger shock. The 100 may be Richardson’s best race, but she won a bronze medal in the 200 at the world championships last summer. Her time in Saturday’s final was slower than the sub-22-second runs she produced in the first round and semifinals of the Olympic trials.
Brown and Long both ran fast enough that Richardson had to do her best to pass either of them. Long said she dug deep for the final 60 meters and kept reminding herself: “Don’t break your form, no matter what.”
When Long crossed the finish line, it was a bittersweet moment for the recent Ole Miss graduate. Sweet because it meant she had qualified for Paris. Bitter because her late mother wasn’t there to see it.
Long’s mother died suddenly of a heart attack at age 45, just before the start of the track season. Long has been running in her mother’s memory ever since.
“To cross that line, knowing that I’m an Olympian now, it’s so surreal,” Long said, holding back tears. “I know my mom is smiling cheek to cheek, I know she’s proud of me. That’s all I could ever want.”
Among those who suspected Long would make the Olympic team was Thomas. She said she had a dream Friday night that she and Long would finish in the top three.
Told that Long would have liked to know in advance, Thomas laughed.
The 200-meter champion said with a smile: “I didn’t mean to do anything bad.”
News Source : sports.yahoo.com
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