EUGENE, Ore. — Sha’Carri Richardson received handed on the surface down the stretch and completed fourth within the 200-meter last on the U.S. observe trials Saturday, which means she’ll solely have one probability for a person Olympic gold medal subsequent month in Paris.
Gabby Thomas gained the race in 21.81 seconds for her second straight nationwide title. Richardson was within the high three, her second-best distance, with about 40 meters left, however Brittany Brown and McKenzie Lengthy handed her and pulled away.
Richardson completed in 22.16 seconds, her slowest of three races by way of the rounds within the 200.
The 27-year-old Thomas, who determined to not run the 400 meters at trials so she might focus solely on the 200, her finest race, will look so as to add to the bronze medal she gained within the occasion three years in the past in Tokyo.
“I knew I wanted to get right now finished, and this can be a first step,” Thomas mentioned. “There was no gold medal in Paris with out getting the job finished right now, so I am simply ecstatic to be alongside these superb, unbelievable ladies.”
Richardson will nonetheless have the 100 — the place she’ll go in as a favourite and because the reigning world champion — together with a spot on the ladies’s 4×100 relay staff.
Richardson clapped her palms and blew a kiss to the gang earlier than exiting to the tunnel rapidly after a race that has by no means been her finest, however by which she was extensively seen as a top-three candidate. She gained the bronze medal at worlds final 12 months within the 200.
Not like Thomas, she ran three rounds final week within the 100, which may take a bodily and psychological toll. Not like Thomas, she was additionally coping with a warning for a lane violation from Friday’s semifinal, which means if she did it once more she could be disqualified.
Richardson wobbled barely at first, à la her burst from the block within the opening spherical of the 100 final week, however dealt with the curve nicely and was neck and neck for third with Tamara Clark, 4 lanes to her left, as they hit the straightaway.
The difficulty, nonetheless, got here from her proper. Brown completed in 21.90, a private finest, and Lengthy was .01 behind her, with a large hole left earlier than Richardson crossed.
Thomas has by no means misplaced to Richardson in a 200. Her largest problem in Paris figures to return from Jamaican sprinter Shericka Jackson, who ran 21.41 finally 12 months’s world championships — the second-fastest time in historical past. Jackson gained her preliminary spherical at Jamaica’s nationals this weekend.
Later Saturday, Noah Lyles saved his hopes for the dash double on the Olympics, coming from behind to win the 200 meters in 19.53 seconds, the quickest time on the planet this 12 months.
Lyles added the 200, his signature race and the space at which he’s a three-time world champion, to the 100 he gained final weekend.
It was no blowout, as Lyles needed to race to the road to go Kenny Bednarek with about 10 meters left and beat him by .06 seconds. Erriyon Knighton, racing for the primary time this 12 months after being cleared after an investigation about consuming drug-tainted meat, completed third and made his second Olympic staff.
Lyles’ 19.53 broke an Olympic trials document of 19.66 held by Michael Johnson since 1996.
