Allyson Felix after beating Veronica Campbell - London (© Getty Images)
American Allyson Felix carries the pressure of slight favourite at the 200 metres. She has run this season the two fastest times 22.13 and 22.14 and is the US champion. The final of 200 metres in Helsinki is expected to be a replay of Athens, where she met Jamaican Veronica Campbell.
Felix, now 19, began training with Bobby Kersee in the autumn. She has been training in a team environment with elite workout partners that include Joanna Hayes, Eunice Barber, Monique Henderson, Sheena Johnson and Michelle Perry.
This summer the young athlete has improved her 100 metres personal best to 11.14. It seems that she is in a good shape, as in London Grand Prix she ran 200 metres in a promising wind-assisted result of 22.16, and handily defeated Olympic winner Veronica Campbell.
Campbell will attempt a double in Helsinki. In Athens, she beat Felix and others by running a spectacular time of 22.05. It is expected that the winning time in Helsinki will be of the same level, but it remains to be seen whether the Jamaican can do it this time – so far her best time this season was the wind-assisted time of 22.29 in London.
Rachelle Smith (22.22s this season) and LaTasha Colander (22.34s) who both will be running only 200 metres, will fight for a place in the final and if successful, for a place on the podium.
After a break of few seasons, Christine Arron of France has returned to fast times in the 200m as well. The 100m specialist’s only big accomplishment is the Mediterranean Games win in 1997. She did compete in 200m in Athens 2004, but could only advance to semifinals. However, in the recent French championships, she clocked a fast 22.39 in the heats and then 22.38 in the final, and has to be considered a threat to the Americans in Helsinki.
Another athlete with an outside chance to medals is Cydonie Mothersill of Cayman Islands. She flashed a sign of her talent in the 2004 Olympics by running a totally relaxed heat finishing with a national record of 22.40. In Athens something went wrong in the later rounds as she was well off her heat form, but this season she has already set another NR of 22.39s in the heats of the Central American and Caribbean Championships in Nassau in mid-July. In the final she clocked even a faster time of 22.26s, but well wind assisted with a following wind of 3.8 m/s.
Also never forget Belgium’s Kim Gevaert. The European indoor 60m champion, set a national record the 100m in 11.12 in late July, and that speed it likely to be translated into a faster 200m time that her current 22.68 at the beginning of July.
Helsinki 2005 media team
