Beatrice Masilingi streaks to 200m heat victory by 22,27 seconds

Beatrice Masilingi streaks to 200m heat victory by 22,27 seconds

The Namibia Beatrice Masilingi competes in the Women’s 200m heats of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 18, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon.

BEATRICE Masilingi was in stunning form as she streaked to a season’s all time best with 22,27 seconds in the women’s 200m heats at the World Athletics Championships on Monday to qualify for the semifinals.

In the process she beat Jamaica’s double Olympic gold champion Elaine Thompson Herah (22,41) into second place in Heat 2, while Ida Karstoft of Denmark came third in 22,85.

“The target is to go through every round that I can,” AFP quoted Masilingi as saying after the race.

“So I am going to take everything step by step now. My team mates definitely expect me to do great and to reach the finals, maybe even to fight for medals, but at the end of the day, I am just going to do what I can,” she added.

Thompson-Herah expressed satisfaction with her performance.

“Qualified and that is enough for today,” she told AFP.

“Last night, it took some time until I got in my room. So to get to compete, my recovery was short. I tried to get in some energy but it was just to qualify for the semifinal,” she added.

Compatriot Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce, who won the women’s 100m gold on Sunday, also comfortably reached the semifinals after finishing second in Heat 3 in 22,26 seconds, behind Aminatou Seyni of Nigeria who won in a national record time of 21,98.

“Oh man, it was hard!” said Fraser-Pryce. “It was a late night and I needed to come back and try to qualify as easy as I can to preserve my strength for tomorrow,” she was quoted as saying by AFP.

“I am feeling OK so far. Just have to go home and get some recovery done and see how it goes tomorrow. I need to eat some food, get a massage, some compression, and just rest, get some sleep,” she added.

Another Jamaican, Shericka Jackson, who won the silver medal in the 100m final, easily progressed to the semifinals after winning Heat 1 in 22,33, followed by Gabriela Suarez of Ecuador (22,56) and Dalia Kaddari of Italy (22,75).

Tamara Clark of the United States won Heat 4 in 22,27, followed by Dina Asher of Great Britain (22,56) and Tynia Gaither of Bahamas (22,61); Abby Steiner of the United States won Heat 5 in 22,26 with Mijinga Kambundji of Switzerland second in 22,34 and Nzubechi Nwokocha of Nigeria third in 22,61; while Favour Ofili of Nigeria won Heat 6 in 22,24, followed by Jenna Prandini of the United States (22,38) and Olivia Beecher of Australia (23,22).