Women’s 200m — Making a statement

Reigning Olympic Champion Allyson Felix will be looking to put an injury plagued 2013 behind her and re-establishing herself as the dominant force in 200m running. Oslo gives her the perfect opportunity to make that statement and pick up where she left off in after her brilliant 2012 season. Felix who has been World Champion at the distance on three separate occasions (Helsinki 2005, Osaka 2007 and Berlin 2009) is one of the most decorated athletes in the sport’s history having won a significant total of 12 gold medals at Olympic and World Championship level, plus boasts a remarkable personal best of 21.69 for the half lap! Under the guidance of her master coach Bob Kersee, she has returned to the track this year in a controlled fashion with quality 3rd placing in the 400m at the recent Shanghai Diamond League meeting.

Another athlete looking to make a statement of her own is Ivory Coast’s Murielle Ahoure. The surprise dual silver medallist from last year’s World Championships at 100m and 200m in Moscow will be looking to further her progression and become the world’s no.1 in 2014. Ahoure has a formidable collection of silver medals in major competitions; two from World Indoors and two from World Championships. To add more spice to her clash with the ruling Olympic Champion is the fact that Ahoure now spends a great deal of time training and residing in Norway , a fact that will not be lost on the parochial Bislett crowd. Ahoure will be looking to significantly reduce her personal best of 22.24 for 200m. She has shown her 2014 is off to a fine start when recording 11.06 for 100m in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

Whilst Felix and Ahoure are the nominal favourites for the 200m Diamond League event there are several other confirmed athletes who will want to make statements of their own in this highly competitive event. Twenty year old Bahamian Anthonique Strachan is a former World Junior Champion and showed great maturity to grab second place in the Shanghai 200m. She has a personal best of 22.32 from last year and like Ahoure will look to be closer to the 22 second mark.
Another class competitor who will look to get out of the shadows of several other sprinters is USA’s Tiffany Townsend. Townsend has a personal best of 22.26 and is capable of an upset. Her statement is about consistency at the very top echelon of 200m running.

In what promises to be a tight competition, listen for the big Bislett crowd to rise as one and howl their support their adopted daughter Murielle Ahoure, especially if she can challenge Allyson Felix.