200 metres, Women

Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith was the 2019 World Champion, had the fastest time of the year, and was considered the favorite but, in the 100, she injured a hamstring in the semi-final and did not qualify, which forced her to withdraw from the 200. In her absence the favorites were American Gabrielle Thomas, who had run 21.61 at the US Olympic Trials, the defending champion Elaine Thompson-Herah, who had already defended her 2016 100 metre gold medal, her Jamaican teammate, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and Bahamian Shaunae Miller-Uibo. Another challenger was Namibian Christine Mboma, who had dropped down from the 400 after World Athletics had not allowed her to compete in that event because of testosterone level abnormalities caused by a disorder of sexual development.

Fraser-Pryce won the first semi-final while, in the second, Thompson-Herah blasted 21.66. Behind her Mboma edged out Thomas, who only made the final as a time qualifier. In the final Thompson-Herah and Fraser-Pryce led out of the blocks, but Thompson-Herah had a clear lead coming off the turn. She would not be headed, finishing in the second fastest time ever, 21.53. Behind her, Thomas caught Fraser-Pryce but she was passed in turn by Mboma, who won the silver medal in 21.81, a world junior record, as Thomas took bronze in 21.87.

Thompson-Herah had become the first woman to defend her titles in both the 100 and 200 metres. A few days later, she and Fraser-Pryce would lead Jamaica to gold in the 4x100, making Thompson-Herah only the fifth woman to complete the Olympic sprint triple – 100, 200, 4x100 – after Fanny Blankers-Koen (NED-1948), Betty Cuthbert (AUS-1956), Wilma Rudolph (USA-1960), and Florence Griffith Joyner (USA-1988).