Coming into the Olympic Trials, fans and media alike expected the final of the women’s 200 meters to be a closely contested and star-studded affair. Saturday evening, the event didn’t disappoint, as Allyson Felix crossed the line in 21.69 seconds to set a meet record while beating out world-class competitors Carmelita Jeter (22.11) and Sanya Richards-Ross (22.22).
“I was thrilled with my race,” Felix said. “I just feel like everything came together at the right time. (It’s) just a blessing to have made this team.”
The win was surely a relief for Felix, who finished in a dead heat with Jeneba Tarmoh for third place in the women’s 100 meters earlier this week. Felix is now assured a berth in London, while Tarmoh, who finished fifth, will have to wait at least a few more hours to learn her fate.
Following the race, USA Track and Field announced that its officials would be meeting with Felix, Tarmoh and their coaches later Saturday to reach a resolution, with an official announcement coming either that night or Sunday morning. Despite widespread controversy surrounding the decision all week, Felix said she was able to hone in on the 200.
“It was just all about fighting to make the team,” Felix said. “It definitely has been emotional, just the entire time at the Trials. It has just been emotional trying to make this team. You train so hard, and I was just thinking about the hours on the track and just those grueling days. You don’t do it just for nothing.”
When asked if she would be open to settling the tie via run-off on Sunday — the last day of the Trials — Felix buckled.
“I think anyone who would have to run tomorrow, it would be tough,” she said. “We’re all a little physically and emotionally drained at this point.”
Felix, a sprinting prodigy who bypassed collegiate ranks to turn pro at the tender age of 18, will be running the 200 in her third-straight Olympic games after claiming silver medals in Athens (2004) and Beijing (2008).
She won her heat in the semifinals in 22.30, but shaved an impressive 0.61 off that time in the final to set a personal best. Saturday’s win was the third-fastest time ever run by an American and the fastest 200 by a woman on U.S. soil.
To put Felix’s time in perspective, only three women in history have ever covered the distance faster. That trio includes current world and American record holder Florence Griffith-Joyner (21.34 and 21.56 in 1988), disgraced former sprinting champion Marion Jones (21.62 in 1998) and Jamaican-born Slovenian Merlene Joyce Ottey (21.64 in 1990 and 21.66 in 1991).
In college, Griffith-Joyner ran at California State Univeristy-Northridge under Bobby Kersee, who is currently serving as the primary coach to both Felix and Tarmoh. The historical significance of creeping toward Flo-Jo’s all-time mark was not lost on Felix.
“I don’t think it’s quite sunk in yet,” she said. “For so long, I’ve looked at those times and I’ve just kind of been inching along and hoping to be on that list. It’s extremely special.”
Sanya Richards-Ross also made history with her third-place finish. She has now qualified to run in London in both the 200 and 400, a feat that hadn’t been achieved since Valerie Brisco-Hooks pulled off the rare double in 1984.
“I really wanted to be part of this team in two events,” Richards-Ross said. “(Felix and Jeter) didn’t make it easy for me, but I’m happy I snuck in and I’m looking forward to competing even better.”
Richards-Ross said conditioning was a huge factor in her success. She was unable to qualify for the Olympics in the 200 in 2004 and 2008.
“I think the difference this year was that I started my training 100 percent healthy,” Richards-Ross said. “My coach and I haven’t really focused on the 200 a lot, we did a lot of 400 training and I naturally have a lot of speed, so we tweaked things a little bit going into the 200.”
Jeter — another two-event qualifier who will run the 100 and 200 in London — seemed at a loss for words following her second-place finish.
“I’m having such a great year right now going into London, I’m just excited to make this team,” Jeter said. “This is my first Olympics; this is probably one of the best feelings in the world. I know I’m not in London yet but it feels pretty good just to be sitting here.”
Though Jeter and Richards-Ross can rejoice in their multi-faceted success, Felix must wait to see if she’ll be tasked with double duty in London, too.
“I think my coach, Bobby Kersee, did an amazing job of not letting it get to us,” Felix said. “He kept us away from (the media) — so I missed you guys the last couple days — but that was all his orders, and just telling us to stay focused, just to get it done.”