Julien Alfred wins first round of Olympic 200m after 100m victory, McLaughlin-Levrone advances
SAINT-DENIS, France — Julien Alfred dominated his first heat of the 200 meters the morning after the sprinter from Saint Lucia won the Olympic 100m.
Alfred acknowledged Sunday that she was feeling tired, but it didn’t really show as she ran 22.41 seconds to advance to the semifinals. American Gabby Thomas, a Tokyo bronze medallist, had the fastest time in the first round at 22.20 seconds.
The only real surprise was when Reigning world champion Shericka Jackson has withdrawn from the event for an unspecified reason. Jackson, the second-fastest woman of all time in the 200, had previously withdrawn from the 100 meterssaying it was partly because of a leg injury she suffered during a warm-up race last month.
Fresh from his victory in the 100, the Alfred, 23 years old is trying to follow in the footsteps of Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah, who won the 100 and 200 at the last two Olympics.
Alfred’s mission on Sunday was simple: take it quietly and calmly.
“To get out of this and go home in peace,” she said. “I’m tired.”
Reigning Olympic 400-meter hurdles champion and world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone hit the sixth hurdle and took a few hesitant steps, but still won her heat in convincing fashion.
McLaughlin-Levrone faces a tough challenge by Femke Bolthe Dutch runner who produced a thrilling stage on Saturday to bring home gold for her nation in the mixed 4×400 relay.
Grant Holloway also made a strong showing, qualifying for the 110m hurdles. The American is seeking his first Olympic gold medal after winning three consecutive world titles. He finished second at the Tokyo Games.
Holloway’s teammate Freddie Crittenden took things cautiously for an entirely different reason. He felt a pinch during practice and wanted to give his body a little more time to recover. So he took the hurdles carefully and slowly to finish in 18.27 seconds, more than five seconds off his season best. He’ll try his luck in the repechage to try to advance to the semifinals.
It’s the first Olympic Games where athletics was used the repechage rule to give a second chance to hurdlers, sprinters and middle-distance runners who do not advance after their first heats of the 200 to 1,500 meters.
The 110-meter repechage round will take place on Tuesday.
“I felt some pain,” Crittenden said. “Thank God there’s a draft round for me.”
___
