Dash occasions are one of many highlights at any Olympics and Tokyo 2020 will likely be no completely different
This 12 months the ladies’s 100m stands out as one of the crucial hotly-anticipated race of the Video games.
The quickest ladies on the monitor, together with Britain’s main medal hope Dina Asher-Smith, line up in Saturday’s semi-finals from 11:15 BST, with the ultimate at 13:50.
Listed below are 5 causes you must tune in to observe.
GB’s real contender
Dina Asher-Smith stormed to an excellent 100m victory in Gateshead in Might, beating Sha’Carri Richardson, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Marie-Josee Ta Lou
From a British perspective, BBC athletics commentator Steve Cram says “we have got an actual contender” in Asher-Smith.
“We’ve not all the time had any individual with an opportunity of if not successful it, actually successful a medal,” stated Cram. “Dina is aware of that she’s going to must be at her finest, however she’s in my prime three.”
GB haven’t had a lady in an Olympic 100m ultimate since 2008. Jeanette Kwakye, who completed sixth in Beijing, is assured the quickest British lady of all time can win a medal.
“We all know, as a 200m world champion, what Dina is able to, however she’s additionally thrilling as a 100m runner. She goes to must be at her best possible to problem for medals,” she stated.
“What we love about Dina and why we’re so assured about her medal probabilities is that she’s a championship performer and a competitor and he or she is aware of find out how to do it.”
After ending eleventh quickest within the heats, Asher-Smith will run within the first Tokyo 2020 100m semi-final – in opposition to Elaine Thompson-Herah and Blessing Okagbare – at 11:15 BST (19:15 native time) on Saturday.
‘It’s so far more thrilling than the boys’s proper now’
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce gained gold within the 2019 World Championships 100m in Doha, with Dina Asher-Smith taking silver and Marie-Josée Ta Lou bronze
“Everyone knows Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, everyone knows Elaine Thompson-Herah. Dina is changing into a giant identify,” stated the 1984 1,500m Olympic silver medallist.
“On the boys’s aspect it’s an open race. Anybody who makes the boys’s 100m ultimate can most likely genuinely line up and suppose .. ‘I might perhaps win a medal right here’. That is good in some respects however by way of bringing consideration to the occasion, it isn’t Bolt and it isn’t [Justin] Gatlin and even [Yohan] Blake.
“It is lacking a few of the characters we have got to know over the past 10 years. The ladies although have gotten the characters, they have the well-known folks.”
Even higher, the highest contenders are all within the form of their lives, says former British 100m champion Kwakye.
“It is tremendous thrilling to see all of them line up and be able to go for a 100m that for the primary time in a very long time goes to overhaul what we take into consideration the boys. It’s so far more thrilling than the boys’s proper now.”
No followers? No drawback
Solely American legend Florence Griffith-Joyner has run quicker than Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
All through the Covid-19 pandemic, athletes have frequently competed in empty stadia or in entrance of only a few followers. Their instances have not suffered.
In June, Fraser-Pryce grew to become the second-fastest lady in historical past after working 10.63 seconds in Kingston. Solely world document holder Florence Griffith-Joyner has run quicker.
“All of the athletes are saying the identical factor, that whenever you go into your blocks, it does not matter if there are 100,000 folks there or no person. We’ll nonetheless see massive performances,” stated Cram.
Kwakye added: “Generally that crowd can add an additional share for the house athletes, however there aren’t any dwelling athletes concerned right here.
“That is all very a lot about pleasure, being the very best and who’s in a position to do this so I do not suppose the gang will make that a lot of a distinction. For certain I believe we’re nonetheless going to have a spectacle.”
Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou ran the fifth-fastest time of the 12 months in Friday’s 100m heats in Tokyo with a blistering 10.78.
It is huge open
Fraser-Pryce, who missed greater than a 12 months of motion across the delivery of her son in 2017, is aiming for a 3rd Olympic 100m title after successful gold in 2008 and 2012. She additionally gained bronze in Rio in 2016
With nobody standout performer this 12 months, you may’t decide a winner simply.
Jamaican trio Shericka Jackson, Thompson-Herah and Fraser-Pryce have all gone under 10.8 seconds, a feat most spectacular for the latter, who is simply getting quicker after two years away from the game to have her son Zyon.
“Shelly-Ann has gained it twice earlier than in 2008 and 2012. She has a number of world medals. She is aware of find out how to win and he or she comes into this within the form of her life and as a mom, so her motivations will change, every part about it’s completely different. Her priorities are completely different which makes it tremendous thrilling,” stated Kwakye.
Her fellow Jamaican Jackson has dropped down from the 400m and Kwakye says the 26-year-old might spring a shock in Tokyo.
“Shericka is doing such a tremendous unbelievable job,” she stated. “Being in that place is nice for her as a result of she’s obtained nothing to lose. No one is anticipating something of her so will probably be actually fascinating seeing how she goes by means of the rounds being fairly relaxed about all of it.”
Whereas Asher-Smith has solely clocked the Tenth-fastest time this 12 months, she is but to lose a race and stormed to victory over Fraser-Pryce in Might.
It truly is anybody’s recreation.
2021’s standout star is not there
Earlier than she obtained a one-month ban that will rule her out of the Olympics after testing constructive for marijuana, US sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson was arguably the 100m favorite heading into Tokyo.
Till Fraser-Pryce eclipsed her time in Kingston, the 21-year-old dash sensation was the quickest lady on this planet this 12 months and the sixth-fastest in historical past after working 10.72 in Miami.
Kwakye says her absence from Tokyo makes the race much more intriguing.
“She has induced such a stir as a result of she’s such an impressive expertise. Persons are nonetheless going to be talking about her,” she stated.
“She thinks that she might have gone there and gained, crushed two of the strongest Jamaicans. Individuals will nonetheless be watching to see what all of the fuss is about.”
Cram added: “I am disillusioned for the game.
“We have all been watching her for 3 or 4 years as a result of she’s been a prodigious younger expertise and smashing information at school.
“I hope we’ll see her racing the remainder of the season. She might do if she needs to as a result of her ban will end. Subsequent 12 months the World Championships are in Eugene so I absolutely count on her again. The following three or 4 years she could possibly be the dominant power.”
