Jefferson-Wooden moves step closer to world sprint double

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden is 1 triumph distant from becoming the archetypal pistillate since Jamaican fable Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce successful 2013 to execute the satellite sprint treble aft she eased into the last connected Thursday.

The 24-year-old American timed 22 seconds dormant successful her semi-final and 2019 satellite champion Dina Asher-Smith was a good beaten 2nd but the Briton goes into Friday’s showdown.

“Everything is lining up the mode it was expected to,” said Jefferson-Wooden.

“It’s truly important for maine to triumph the 200 metre title.

“This is what I person been moving connected the full year, and for each the enactment to beryllium coming unneurotic present means a lot.

“I judge I tin triumph gold. It would beryllium truthful casual to springiness up oregon not to measurement retired of my comfortableness zone, but I privation to bash things nary 1 thought I could do.”

Jefferson-Wooden whitethorn beryllium the favourite but two-time defending champion Shericka Jackson’s season’s champion of 21.99sec successful the archetypal of the 3 semi-finals sent a wide connection to the American.

So accelerated was Jackson, who successful the 2 past satellite championships has travel agonisingly adjacent to achieving the double, that 4 of her rivals besides posted season’s bests and runner-up Amy Hunt ran a idiosyncratic champion of 22.08sec.

It was small astonishment that the 2 fastest qualifiers emerged from her semi — 2019 metallic medallist Brittany Brown of the United States and Bahamas Anthonique Strachan.

American Anavia Battle and Ivorian seasoned Marie-Josee Ta Lou Smith capable retired the eight-runner tract aft they finished archetypal and 2nd successful the 3rd semi.

For Ta Lou Smith, who turns 37 successful November, it volition beryllium an astonishing 13th idiosyncratic sprint last astatine a planetary outdoor championship. She won 2 silvers successful the 2017 satellite championships.

The station Jefferson-Wooden moves measurement person to satellite sprint double appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.