Triple gold medalist Elaine Thompson-Herah is one of the super stars from Tokyo 2020. The 29 year old Jamaican won the 100m in an Olympic Record (10”61) and the 200m in a National Record of 21”53. These are sensational references and only World Record holder Florence Griffith-Joyner has ever run faster, 33 years back in time. Thompson-Herah won consecutive Olympic sprint titles in Tokyo after winning double gold at the Rio Olympics in the same events. In Tokyo Thompson-Herah even added a third gold medal to her tally in winning the 4 x 100m relay with the Jamaican team in 41”02, a National Record and the third fastest time ever.
Teammate Shericka Jackson from the Jamaican 4 x 100m Olympic gold squad will also be in the 200m field in Brussels. Jackson didn’t qualify for the 200m final in Tokyo as she eased up too early in her semi-final and dropped back in non qualifying position. However Jackson returned home with 4 x 100m relay gold and with 100m and 4 x 400m bronze medals.
These Jamaican Olympic Champions will face a tough 200m challenge from Sha’Carri Richardson, amongst others. The Allianz Memorial Van Damme, second to last leg of the Wanda Diamond League signed up the 21 year old American sprint sensation Sha’Carri Richardson as one of the main opponents in this race. Richardson was not selected by USA Track and Field to compete in Tokyo but she is one of the rising stars in international athletics. Her 100m PB stands at 10”72 which is the 6th all time performance and her 200m PB of 22”00 would have placed her 5th in the Olympic final.
Two Belgian athletes will also compete in this unmatched 200m field. Cynthia Bolingo (PB 22”79) and Rani Rosius (PB 23”49) get a unique opportunity to shave some hundredts off their personal bests, with the support of their home crowd.
