Alfred targets Olympic sprint double as 'vicious' 1500m battle looms
Published : Wednesday, 7 August, 2024 at 12:00 AM Count : 258
PARIS, AUG 6: Saint Lucia's Julien Alfred targets an Olympic sprint double on Tuesday as Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerr go head-to-head in a 1500m grudge match that promises fireworks.
But there was frustration after Paris Games organisers cancelled training for open water swimming in the River Seine due to pollution levels -- the fifth time such a decision has been made.
The women's 200m headlines action at the Stade de France, with Alfred seeking to emulate Jamaica's Elaine Thompson-Herah, who did the 100m-200m double at the Rio 2016 Games and at the Covid-delayed Tokyo Olympics.
Alfred, the first athlete from the tiny Caribbean island of Saint Lucia to win an Olympic medal, won her semi-final on Monday in 21.98 seconds but was pipped in the overall times by US sprinter Gabrielle Thomas, who crossed the line in 21.86.
Jamaica's world champion Shericka Jackson withdrew before her heat on Sunday.
Thomas, looking to upgrade from bronze in Tokyo, has the fastest time in the world this year with 21.78sec and has made no secret of the fact that a gold medal is in her sights.
The clash at the Stade de France between Norway's Ingebrigtsen and his British rival Kerr in the men's 1500m will not be for the faint-hearted.
The 26-year-old Kerr finished second behind Ingebrigtsen in Sunday's semi-final, with the two eye-balling each other for the final 20 metres.
The Norwegian has had several digs at Kerr since the Briton edged him in last year's final at the world championships, claiming he often skips events.
Kerr says he is always at the major championships and has predicted the final will be one of the "most vicious and hardest" people have ever seen.
The British runner, who took bronze behind 23-year-old Ingebrigtsen in Tokyo, said he wanted to do his talking on the track.
"I'm ready to go after it, I think we all are, there's been a lot of talking over the last kind of 12 months, even two years, so I'm just looking to settle that a little bit on Tuesday and give it my best performance." —AFP
