World 200m Champion, Dafne Schippers progressed easily to the semifinals of the women’s 200m, after winning her Heat in 22.51s at the ongoing Rio Olympic Games.
The Dutch woman wasn’t threatened from the start and had to slow down 50m before the finish line, to get the victory ahead of Ukraine’s Nataliya Pohrebnyak who clocked 22.64s, while Canada’s Crystal Emmanuel settled for 3rd in 22.80s.
Meanwhile newly crowned Olympic 100m Champion, Elaine Thompson suffered a shock defeat in Heat 4, as she finished behind Cote D’Ivoire’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou, clocking 22.63s.
Interestingly, the Ivorian raced to the fastest time of all Heats in 22.31s. This is a new Personal Best (PB) for the African Champion, who earlier in the 100m clocked a PB of 10.86s to finish 4th in the women’s 100m final. Germany’s Gina Luckenkemper was 3rd with 22.80s.
Commonwealth 200m Champion, Blessing Okagbare also booked her spot in the semis, after successfully winning her Heat in 22.71s. Great Britain’s Record holder, Dina Asher-Smith got the runner-up position in 22.77s while Bahamas’s Anthonique Stratchan was 3rd in 22.96s.
USA’s duo of Jenna Prandini and Dejah Stevens also successfully qualified for the Semis, winning their Heats in 22.62s and 22.45s respectively.
Tori Bowie also ran one of the fastest times of all Heats, clocking 22.47s ahead of Cote D’Ivoire’s Murielle Ahoure who impressively ran a Season’s Best (SB) of 22.52s. Trinidad and Tobago’s Michelle Lee-Ahye, was Heat 3 winner in 22.50s, while Bulgaria’s Ivet Lallova-Collio won Heat 7 in 22.61s.
