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Thursday 3 OcTOber 2019
Sprinter wins for Britain and college star takes hurdles
ing for a re-run of the race,
or for Ortega to be allowed
to compete alone to see
where his time would place
him _ or for him to receive a
bronze medal.
A few hours later, the jury
said Ortega had been im-
peded but denied the ap-
peal nonetheless. The es-
sence of their reasoning:
Hurdles is a contact sport.
“I feel very, very sorry
for Ortega, because he
could’ve won a medal,”
McLeod said. “But that’s
life.”
And life couldn’t be much
better for Holloway, who
looked semi-shocked when
he crossed the line ahead
of Shubenkov, then did
what any good University
of Florida athlete would do:
the Gator chomp.
Holloway joined, among
others, triple jumper Chris-
tian Taylor and 400-meter
Olympic champion Kirani
James as winners of the
NCAA-worlds double.
None had been in a race
like this.
“I didn’t see it but I heard a
Dina Asher-Smith, of Great Britain, runs in the women's 200 meter finals at the World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, lot of them _ bang, boom,
Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019. boom,” bronze medalist
Associated Press Pascal Martinot-Lagarde
said. “I just stayed on my
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Most Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was just a matter of time. Olympics, where expecta- line and ran my race.”
of the prime contenders (tired), two-time defend- Asher-Smith’s 21.88 _ good tions will be higher, and the So did Holloway, who still
in the women’s 200 had ing champion Dafne Schip- for a .34-second margin field will almost certainly be had the American flag
dropped out before the pers (injured), Olympic titlist over America’s Brittany deeper. Asher-Smith is al- draped around his neck
race even began. In the Elaine Thompson (injured), Brown _ established a Brit- ready looking ahead. two hours after the race.
men’s 110 hurdles, the fa- and the 2019 world leader, ish national record, just as “Still getting stronger, still He was a two-sport star in
vorites waited to start tum- Shaunae Miller-Uibo (run- her 10.83 did three nights learning a lot more physi- high school, and could’ve
bling until they neared the ning the 400), just to name earlier in the 100, when she cally and mentally,” she just as easily have played
finish line. a few. finished second to Fraser- said. “So, hopefully, there’s football as run track.
Two gold medals. Two ways When the eight-woman Pryce. a lot more to come.” “My coaches broke it down
to win them. final was finally set, Asher- Asher-Smith joined Linford If Asher-Smith’s race was to me very simply: ‘Do you
Dina Asher-Smith took the Smith found herself listed Christie (1993) as only the expected, then Holloway’s want to be in the NFL or do
easier road Wednesday as a 1-10 favorite at some second British runner to win victory was ... NASCAR? you want to be an Olym-
to become Britain’s first of the sports books back a sprint at world champion- While Holloway was in Lane pian?’ My heart was being
female sprint world cham- home, where they always ships. 6 vying for the lead with Ser- an Olympian,” Holloway
pion, while Grant Hollo- pay close attention to their How big a deal was this? gey Shubenkov, defending said.
way outran the demolition track stars. Well, it actually got loud champion Omar McLeod Chances are, he will be. As
derby to his left to become All of which made this feel for a minute after Asher- was barreling down Lane of Wednesday, he’s a track
only the sixth man to cap- like anything but a breeze. Smith crossed the finish line 4 with his necklace in his and field world champion _
ture NCAA and world titles “Normally I’m quite chatty at the half-full Khalifa In- mouth, racing next to 2016 even if the race that made
in the same year. and full of energy, but it’s ternational Stadium. A few Olympic silver medalist Or- him one looked more like a
“Those barriers don’t care a different thing with ev- pockets in the British con- lando Ortega. football game.q
about your body,” Hollo- eryone saying you’re the tingent waved the Union McLeod clipped the eighth
way said. “They’re there to favorite,” she said. “You’re Jack, clanged cowbells barrier, then the ninth, then
slow you down. Our goal is only the favorite if you go and went crazy in the air- completely bit it after the
to go full-fledged over all out and perform how peo- conditioned venue that 10th. But as he was war-
10 of them.” ple expect you to.” had sounded more like bling, his arm flailed in front
Some of the biggest hur- Using her trademark fast a library only minutes be- of Ortega, who was clos-
dles facing Asher-Smith on start, Asher-Smith blasted fore, while Poland’s Pawel ing in Lane 5, and slowed
her quest to make history in out of the blocks in Lane 7 Fajdek was wrapping up his down the Spaniard’s late
her home country had dis- and was moving past the fourth straight world ham- charge to keep him out of
appeared before her race outside runners and into mer throw gold. the medals.
even began. The 200 field a three-step lead at the It will certainly be louder a Early on Thursday morning,
was missing 100 champion 150-meter mark. The rest year from now at the Tokyo Spain filed an appeal, ask-