Olympic double bronze medalist Walter Dix will have a chance to race Usain Bolt twice in August’s world championships after winning the 200m at the US trials on Sunday.
The victory, in a wind-assisted 19.95 seconds, completed a sprint double for Dix, who won bronze medals in the 100m and 200m at the 2008 Olympics where Jamaican Bolt swept to world records in both.
“I can’t really see myself losing,” Dix said of the upcoming world championships in Daegu, South Korea. “Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell, whoever is there, I am going to give them a good shot, I am confident I can win the gold after what I did today.”
Photo: Reuters
Dix, who won the US 100m title on Friday, became the first man to claim both national championships since Tyson Gay in 2007. The wins came with little speed training, Dix said, and he promised to run faster as the season progresses.
Doc Patton was a close second in 19.98 seconds, with Jeremy Dodson claiming the third spot on the US team for the world championships.
Shalonda Solomon ran down favorite Carmelita Jeter for a shock victory in the women’s 200m.
Photo: Reuters
Solomon finished in 22.15 seconds, the year’s fastest time, to defeat US 100m champion Jeter by 0.08 seconds. Jeneba Tarmoh took third in 22.28 seconds.
World 400m champion Sanya Richards-Ross finished seventh, ending her chances of running a 200m-400m double at the world championships.
Three other world-leading performances came on the sun-splashed concluding day of the trials.
Kellie Wells topped a world-class 100m hurdles field in 12.50 seconds, outrunning Danielle Carruthers and Olympic champion Dawn Harper. Carruthers finished in 12.59 seconds, with Harper clocking 12.65 seconds.
The US demonstrated its jump power with both world long jump champion Brittney Reese and high jumper Jesse Williams delivering bests for the year.
Reese became the year’s first women’s longer jumper to exceed 7m when she leaped 7.19m. Williams soared to a lifetime best on his final try at 2.37m. Only two Americans have ever jumped higher outdoors.
Adam Nelson, the 2005 world shot put champion, came close to another season-leader with a heave of 22.09m to pace a powerhouse US team for the event. Olympic silver medalist and reigning world champion Christian Cantwell took second with 21.87m, while 2007 world champion Reese Hoffa threw 21.86m to complete the team.
Olympic silver medalist Jenn Suhr had a streak of five US championships snapped when she finished second to Kylie Hutson in the women’s pole vault.
Another 2008 silver medalist, Hyleas Fountain, finished sixth in the heptathlon after suffering from food poisoning. Her world championship status remained up in the air.
In the men’s 400m hurdles, a leaning, stumbling Jeshua Anderson won a blanket finish. The extra effort gave the US collegiate champion victory over Olympic bronze medalist Bershawn Jackson. Both were timed in 47.93 seconds. Angelo Taylor claimed the third US team spot in 47.94 seconds.
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