Sha’Carri Richardson of the USA will hope to continue her fruitful form this season when she lines up in the women’s 200 meters at the 2021 Ostrava Golden Spike meeting at Mestsky Stadion in the Czech city on Tuesday.
Richardson, the second quickest over the half-lap this season with a personal best time of 22.00 seconds, will race from lane five and will take on a solid field that could push her to run close to her best, despite the long journey to the Czech Republic.
“Even if I did have jetlag I wouldn’t use that as an excuse, I’m feeling good,” the 21-year-old said. “I fell in love with the 200 before the 100, I like to show people I can be a 200 runner as much as a 100 runner.”
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Scheduled to line up against the American rising star is two-time World Championships gold medalist Dafne Schippers from The Netherlands and Blessing Okagbare of Nigeria.
Schippers, the 2015 and 2017 champion and Rio 2016 Olympic Games silver medalist is set to make her debut in the event after making two 4x100m relay appearances at the World Relays earlier this month.
“I’m always excited to run against the fastest girls in the world,” said Schippers. “It’s nice to see new talent and I’m really excited to race.”
Okagbare enters this meeting with a season-best of 22.66s, but she has a slightly wind-aided 22.03s in her last outing in Jacksonville, FL, on April 29, and will be confident about delivering the same kind of performance in Europe.
Swiss sprinter Mujinga Kambundji is another starter that could challenge the frontrunners for the victory at the 2021 Ostrava Golden Spike meeting and she takes a personal best of 22.26s into the matchup.
Fred Kerley of the USA will start as the favorite to win the men’s race and enters with a personal best of 20.24. His fellow countryman Kenny Bednarek is expected to push him to the last meters and comes in with a season’s best of 19.94s.
