This Olympic Games has already seen some stacked fields and
the women’s 200m has to be the biggest contender for most competitive field. As
well as the fifth fastest woman in history and long odds on favourite, we have
the winners of the 1 and 400m finals, as well as a two time Olympic and World Champion,
along with the runner up from the 100m final who lost by literally just a head.
With such a strong field it’s remarkable that Felix – 1/20
for a medal and 1/3 for gold – is so short but there is some damn good reasoning
behind that price. An eight time world champion (three over 200m), Felix has
been showing excellent speed over 100m, coming a close fifth in the final
behind Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce, Carmelita Jeter and Veronica Campbell Brown.
Her 10.92 time in Doha over 100m this year pre games was the
third fastest in the world, underlining her confidence and also the decision of
coach Bobby Kersee to enter the short sprint at the trials and then the final
here – where she posted another PB in fifth and while she’s got the outstanding
chance, she’s too short to back here.
After her blistering win in the 100m final, Shelly Ann
Fraser Pryce is second favourite and deservedly so, although this might be a
case of after the Lord Mayor’s show for the Jamaican, who excels at the 100m
but isn’t so good at the 200 despite carrying a lot of her speed, and she might
have had her day in the sun. I’m not discounting her at all, but team mate
Campbell Brown might be set to shine over this distance.
Unbeaten over the distance in 28 finals and 42 races between
11 March 2000 until 22 July 2005, Cambell Brown is aiming for a remarkable hat
trick of golds and while she may not make it 3 in a row, she has a massive chance of medalling here
and while she might have looked more vulnerable than in previous years coming
into this, a bronze in the 100m should allay any doubts and the 5/4 on her
being on the podium for a third successive time looks to be an excellent bet
considering this is her main target, while others are going up or in the case
of deserved 400m winner Sanya Richards- Ross – who may struggle after such a
gruelling schedule, as well as with natural speed despite holding the second
fastest time so far this year - down in distance.
Felix holds a 6-4 lead in head to heads and should make that
7-4 (at the 2005, 2007 and 2009 World Championships with Campbell-Brown winning
at the games twice and then in Deagu last year) although even then, 25/1 for a
gold looks to be an overreaction based upon her only coming home third fastest
in her heats and it might be worth having for interest’s sake. Carmelita Jeter –
a close second to Campbell Brown at the World Championships – is the most
interesting of the US team barring Felix and might find herself in the medals.
Advice
4 pts Veronica Campbell-Brown to medal (5/4 Hills)
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