DESTINY IN DOHA 2019
2019 DESTINY IN DOHA
champion, on two occasions, as well as at last year’s Common‐ wealth Games, won by Miller‐Uibo. The other danger is 2‐me cham‐ pion Dafne Schippers of Holland. The flying Dutchwoman has looked
off‐form but is peaking for Doha. A surprise win for Schippers would make her just the second woman, aer American Allyson Felix, to win the World Championships 200 three mes.
Felix beat Miller‐Uibo in the 400 at the 2015 World Championship, but the Bahamian is in charge now – and her sprint speed is beer than ever. The only queson is whether the field, including 2015 bronze
At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, it was Kimberly Williams who was strongest in the women’s triple jump. Now, Shanieka Ricketts is the form athlete chasing top honours
medallist Shericka Jackson of Ja‐ maica and 2017 runner‐up Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain will push her. Williams, champion of the world in 2015, was placed second by Track & Field News in July. She then followed her world leading me of 12.32 seconds by beang world
record holder and US champion Kendra Harrison in Birmingham. If Williams gets the gold medal, she will ignite a debate as to who is the best Jamaican ever in this event. The incumbent is two‐me Olympic finalist Brigie Foster‐Hylton, who won the world tle in 2009, aer
winning silver in 2003.
If she wins, Williams will have to go to the Olympics next year, reach the final for the first me and get a medal to put that debate to rest. Late in August, triple jumper Shanieka Rickes bounded into the medal picture with a big win over Venezuela’s world champion Yulimar Rojas in Zurich. Rickes cranked out a personal best of 14.93 and drew near to the revered 15‐metre mark, which only Rojas has surpassed this year. If she keeps on improving, the English‐speaking Caribbean could have yet another queen in Doha. With Elaine and Shelly‐Ann on duty, Jamaica will be hard to stop in the 4x100. The 4x400 could see another Jamaican gold as Felix isn’t back to her best aer me off to have a baby. Shericka Jackson jumped for joy when Jamaica beat the USA at the 2015 Worlds. If all the Carib‐ bean queens succeed in Doha, the region will be jumping as well.
With Miller-Uibo not contesting the 200m this year, the path to gold in the the half-lap event has been made easier for Elaine Thompson
2015 World Champion Danielle Williams (2nd right) has 2019’s best time going into Doha. If she wins here and goes on to osp a medal at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, she will have the stongest claim to being the greatest Jamaican female sprint hurdler ever.
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