Tokyo (AFP)
Jamaican Elaine Thompson-Herah won the 200m at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday, scoring the double three days after the 100m, as in Rio in 2016, with the second fastest time in history (21.53).
She beat Namibian sensation Christine Mboma, 18, who has only been running the 200m for two months, being deprived of the 400m because of the hyperandrogenism regulation.
American Gabrielle Thomas took 3rd place.
Thompson-Herah confirms that at 29 years old, she has been the best sprinter in the world for five years.
She is the first woman to achieve the 100 and 200m double-double at two consecutive Olympic Games.
After setting the second fastest time in history over 100 m, she did it again in 200 m with a time of 21 sec 53, 19 hundredths off the record set by American Florence Griffith-Joyner at the Seoul Games in 1988, which seems less and less untouchable.
Thompson-Herah broke into the straight, where Namibian Mboma made a phenomenal comeback.
The latter, initially technically very hesitant, has a devastating finish, which she revealed to the world this season.
The Namibian first hit the 400m, becoming the 7th best performer of all time at the end of June.
But her Olympic committee announced a few days later that she could not match the distance to the Olympics, being concerned by the regulation on hyperandrogenism.
She ran her first 200m high level on May 29 in 22 73 seconds before devoting herself fully to the distance.
In five races, including the Olympic final, she won almost a second to clinch silver in 21 sec 81.
She becomes only the second Olympic medalist in the history of Namibia in all sports, after sprinter Frankie Fredericks, star of the 1990s (silver in 100 and 200 m in 1992 and 1996).
Unrivaled Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah in the 200m final at the Tokyo Games, August 3, 2021 Charly TRIBALLEAU AFP
Gabrielle Thomas opened her international record with bronze at 24, saving the United States' honor in the women's short sprint (no medal in the 100m).
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