Thompson-Herah makes history by defending sprint double
Elaine Thompson-Herah completed a second successive Olympic sprint double yesterday when she won the 200m gold in 21.53 seconds, the second-fastest time in history behind US legend Florence Griffith Joyner's 21.34 set in 1988.
The Jamaican, 29, controlled the race from the start and was a clear winner, but 18-year-old Christine Mboma of Namibia produced an astonishing final 30 metres to make up four places and take silver in 21.81sec at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium.
Thompson-Herah, who won the 100m last Saturday, became the first woman to retain the sprint double.
"Oh my god, it's amazing that I have ever seen this day. That I could complete another double. I can't believe it," she said.
"It feels amazing to win two golds again. "
American Gabrielle Thomas, who had the fastest time of the season (21.61) coming into the race, took the bronze in 21.87, edging out 100m silver medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (21.94).
In the men's 400m hurdles, Norway's Karsten Warholm stormed home in one of the all-time great Olympic track races, clocking 45.94 to shatter his world record of 46.70 which he had set just last month.
American Rai Benjamin won silver in 46.17, while Brazilian Alison dos Santos took bronze in 46.72.
"I always say that the perfect race doesn't exist, but this is the closest I've come to a perfect race," said Warholm, 25.
Benjamin, 24, was left wondering how he took half a second off the world record, but ended up with a silver medal in a race where six of the top seven set national or continental records.
"I saw the 45.9 and I was, 'What the hell?' And I saw 46.1 and was like, 'There's no way I really ran 46 and lost'."
In the men's pole vault, Sweden's Armand Duplantis, 21, won the gold with 6.02 metres.
American Chris Nilsen (5.97m) took the silver medal, while Brazil's Thiago Braz, the defending champion, won bronze with 5.87m. - REUTERS
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