AFP, Eugene :
Rising American sprint star Gabby Thomas set the fastest time in the world this year in the women’s 200m at the US trials in Oregon on Thursday as Allyson Felix squeezed into the semi-finals.
Harvard graduate Thomas, who is studying to be an epidemiologist, became the first woman to duck under the 22-second barrier this year, powering home in 21.98sec at Hayward Field.
Thomas, who had already booked her place at the Tokyo Olympics after a fifth-place finish in the 100m on Saturday, warned she still had plenty left in the tank.
“I wasn’t expecting the time but I’m happy with it,” Thomas said. “It’s surreal. I know I’ve been working really hard and have a great team around me.
“I was surprised. I slowed down at the end. I think I have more left.”
Thomas’s time marked her out as the early favorite for the 200m gold in Eugene, a task that has been made simpler after 100m champion Sha’Carri Richardson scratched from the event this week.
But while Thomas impressed, US track and field’s veteran superstar Felix was less convincing.
Felix, the 2012 Olympic 200m champion, had also already punched her ticket to Tokyo with a second-place finish in the 400m, said she had planned to “have fun” with the 200m this week.
