The Jamaicans have dominated the women’s 200-metre sprint for an incredible 41 years, but the possibility of this ending looms large with the approaching Paris Olympics.
The competition has been thrown open because the reigning champion, the Jamaican Elaine Thompson-Herah, won’t be defending her title in Paris.
She has registered to compete only in the 100 metres, and not the 200 metres, at the Jamaican Athletics Championships from June 27 to 30. The deadline to register passed on Monday (June 17).
The Jamaicans and Americans to watch
Jamaica has other celebrated sprinters such as Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson.
But they will face strong competition from the Americans.
Currently, the 27-year-old American Gabby Thomas is at the top of her game. She has the third-best time in the world this season in the 200 metres, clocking in at 22.08 seconds.
The American McKenzie Long, who holds the world lead in the event, is another strong contender. She will be seen in action soon at the US Olympic track and field trials. Five more of the season’s best athletes will be competing with her for coveted spots on the US Olympic team.
Anavia Battle and Brittany Brown will also be vying for the 200-metre spot with great intensity.
Brown’s chances of winning this season have increased because of her recent victory over Jamaican great Shericka Jackson at the Oslo Diamond League.
The Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is also in the running.
The ten-time world champion Fraser-Pryce will make her Olympic debut in the 200-metre sprint at the Jamaican trials. It will be a noteworthy moment in her remarkable 22-year career.
Fraser-Pryce hasn’t won the 200-metre Olympic gold yet, but her perseverance and track record of incredible returns make her a serious competitor.