Elaine Thompson-Herah and Jereem Richards win Commonwealth sprint titles in style on Saturday in Birmingham
Elaine Thompson-Herah secured a sprint double as she beat Shaunae Miller-Uibo’s Games record of 22.09 with 22.02 (0.6) in far-from-balmy conditions in the West Midlands.
A few hours after world sprint champions and fellow Jamaicans Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson, plus Bahamian Miller-Uibo, raced at the Diamond League in Poland, Thompson-Herah took her second gold medal of the week in Birmingham.
In years to come people will not remember who was missing from the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Instead they will simply see the result with Thompson-Herah’s name ahead of runner-up Favour Ofili of Nigeria who clocked 22.51 and Christine Mboma of Namibia who ran 22.80 after missing the World Championships due to a hip injury.
The only home nations athlete in the final was Beth Dobbin, who finished eighth in 23.40.
“At the World Championship it didn’t work out how I wanted it to but I’ve come here and got a double. I’m grateful!”
Five-time Olympic champion @FastElaine on yet another 100m/200m golden double, this time at the Commonwealth Games 🥇🇯🇲
📹 @TimAdams76 #B2022 pic.twitter.com/QWX1wVAy6G
— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) August 6, 2022
Richards beats English hope Hughes
Jereem Richards of Trinidad & Tobago produced one of the best performances of the Games when he sped to men’s 200m victory in 19.80 (1.1).
Running in chilly conditions at just gone 9pm on Saturday (Aug 6) the 28-year-old not only ran a PB but smashed Frankie Fredericks’ Games record of 19.97 which had stood since 1994.
Anticipation was high that Zharnel Hughes would give England a golden moment on the penultimate day of the Games but he would have had to have set a British record to have beaten Richards, so Hughes had to settle for silver in a season’s best of 20.12 as Joseph Amoa of Ghana was third in 20.49.
Jereem Richards (Mark Shearman)
There was some history here as Hughes beat Richards to the line in the same 200m final four years ago on the Gold Coast but was controversially disqualified for being adjudged to have impeded Richards with his arm.
There was no doubt on Saturday, though, as Richards was clear into the home straight and romped home in style to join Allan Wells and Don Quarrie as the only men to successfully defend the Commonwealth 200m title.
Hughes, who competes next in the European Championships in Munich, said: “It was spectacular, I really enjoyed myself – the heats, the semis and tonight. This is my first 200m of the season, so to come away with a medal I am very happy.”
» To catch up with all our coverage from Birmingham, CLICK HERE
