Mujinga Kambundji pulled out all the stops in the 200m semi-finals of the Eugene Worlds. The 30-year-old Bernese qualified for the final by clearly beating her Swiss record. The bronze medalist on the half-lap at the 2019 Worlds achieved 22”05, or 13 hundredths better than her mark set on June 14 at the Wankdorf.
However, she only qualified on time, winning the last ticket, as had already been the case in the 100m in Oregon. The level is indeed much higher over 200m in Eugene than it was in 2019 in Doha, where many leaders had given up on the U-turn. Five women raced under 22 seconds in the semi-finals on Tuesday, while a time of 22.51 was enough for Mujinga Kambundji to claim bronze in 2019.
Jamaica strong
The Jamaicans hit hard. Respectively 2nd and 1st in the 100m, Shericka Jackson (21”67) and Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce (21”82) set the two fastest times ahead of American Tamara Clark (21”95) and Briton Dina Asher -Smith (21”96), who will be the only other European in the final.
Mujinga Kambundji will therefore once again have to sublimate Thursday evening in the final. But the 2022 world champion in the 60m indoors has already fulfilled her objective by winning her ticket for the two sprint finals, as at the Tokyo Olympics where she finished 6th in 100m and 7th in 200m.
“The pressure was great. I feel a weight off my shoulders“, underlined the Bernese, who will be able to evolve with her liberated spirit in the final. Where she will certainly have to go under 22 seconds for the first time to hope to do as well as in the 100m (5th place).
ats/ace
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