WAC: Jefferson-Wooden, Jackson Breeze Into Women’s 200m Semifinals

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden showed nary signs of fatigue arsenic she stormed into the women’s 200 metres semi-finals astatine the World Athletics Championships (WAC) connected Wednesday, 3 days aft winning the 100m golden medal.

Jefferson-Wooden dominated her vigor successful 22.24, 2nd fastest connected this muggy evening to march connected to Friday’s semis astatine the National Stadium.

No pistillate has capped the 100m-200m treble astatine a worlds since Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce successful 2013.

Jamaica’s defending champion Shericka Jackson, who was looking to lucifer Allyson Felix’s grounds of 3 satellite titles, besides looked crisp arsenic she powered location to triumph the 5th vigor successful 22.33, the 3rd fastest clip of the circular to scope semifinals.

The apical 2 astatine past year’s Paris Olympics were absent with champion Gabby Thomas missing the championships owed to an Achilles wounded and metallic medalist Julien Alfred having withdrawn owed to a hamstring tear.

Four Americans won their heats with Anavia Battle clocking the fastest clip successful 22.07, Jefferson-Wooden 2nd quickest, and Brittany Brown (22.50) and McKenzie Long (22.51) besides progressing.

“My legs consciousness similar they were getting themselves backmost connected track. The 200m is simply a antithetic consciousness to the 100m truthful it is astir executing and being smart,” said Jefferson-Wooden.

“My manager volition astir apt archer maine that I person burnt excessively overmuch vigor but I wanted to get a consciousness for it truthful that determination is thing overseas to maine successful the adjacent fewer days.”

Jefferson-Wooden was looking to lucifer Germans Silke Gladisch (1987) and Katrin Krabbe (1991) arsenic good arsenic Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (2015) by winning some women’s sprints astatine a azygous satellite championships.

Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith won the last vigor successful 22.40, the 5th fastest clip of the time down Ivorian Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith (22.39).

“The 100 metres did not spell arsenic planned, everyone knows I was near successful the blocks,” said Ta Lou-Smith, who finished seventh successful the shorter sprint.

“The 200 is simply a accidental to redeem myself, truthful I americium acceptable to beryllium successful the final. I americium amended astatine moving the 200, truthful I americium truly blessed to person the accidental to vie again astatine this level and injury free”.