Joe
By John-Francis Alamise
In what looks like her best chance for a podium finish and the country’s fist medal of the Paris 2024, Nigeria’s Favour Ofili and Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred have set up a highly anticipated showdown in the women’s 200m final.
Ofili, running on the inside lane in the Semi-Finals had a slight edge coming out of the bend but Alfred surged ahead with a remarkable burst of speed to claim victory in 21.98 seconds. Ofili followed closely behind, securing her spot in the final with a season’s best time of 22.05 seconds.
Julien Alfred, who emerged from relative obscurity to win the 100m title on Saturday night, now stands a chance of becoming only the eighth woman ever to achieve a sprint double at the same Olympics.
Before Alfred’s historic run, Saint Lucia had never won an Olympic medal. Now, the Caribbean nation is on the brink of celebrating its second medal in the Games.
In other heats, US star Gabby Thomas, setting up a potentially thrilling duel in the women’s 200m final. Thomas, who entered the Games with the year’s fastest time over the half-lap distance, won her heat comfortably, clocking 21.86 seconds. She eased past former world champion Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain, who finished second in 22.31 seconds.
The final, scheduled for today (Tuesday), promises to be a gripping contest. Thomas, a favorite after posting the fastest times in both the heats and semifinal rounds, will face stiff competition from Alfred, whose recent form makes her a significant threat to Thomas’ gold-medal aspirations.
Brittany Brown and Darryl Neita also secured their places in the final, with Brown crossing first in their semifinal heat in 22.12 seconds, followed by Neita in 22.24 seconds. Jessica Gbai of Ivory Coast and McKenzie Long of the US earned their spots as the two time qualifiers for the final.
The stage is set for a thrilling conclusion to the women’s 200m event at the Paris 2024 Olympics, with Thomas, Ofili and Alfred leading the charge for Olympic glory.
