Tokyo 2020 Olympics -Did Elaine Thompson-Herah easing up cost herself the 200 metre world record?
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Updated 02/08/2021 at 15:25 GMT
The Jamaican tore round the Olympic stadium in a personal best time, but is it fair to say she might have taken a world record too had she not eased up? That's the question on everyone's lips after the 100m champion's performance in the 200m. You want it? We have it. Stream every Olympic event live on discovery+.
Did Thompson-Herah miss chance of 200m WR by slowing down?
“Equalling her own lifetime best, just five women have ever run faster than that.”
And yet, incredibly, could Elaine Thompson-Herah have gone even faster and taken the 200-metre world record?
Blitzing round the outside of the Olympic Stadium track in lane nine, the 100-metre champion flew down the home straight with a sizeable lead over the chasing pack.
Perhaps with one eye on the final, the Jamaican seemed to ease up through the final ten metres, yet still clocked a phenomenal 21.66 seconds time.
““In a semi-final we’ve seen one of the fastest ever performances by a woman over 200m,” the commentator marvelled, but there is a possibility he could have been witness to the fastest ever had Thompson-Herah not taken her foot off the gas.
Nevertheless, Thompson-Herah will have the opportunity to upgrade a personal best to a world record tomorrow, with the final set to begin at 13:50 BST.
She lines up in lane seven, with team-mate and two-time Olympic gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in lane three.
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