Miller-Uibo’s dominance over 200 metres continues in Birmingham

When it came to the crunch, halfway down the home stretch at the Alexander Stadium, Shaunae Miller-Uibo had too much class for her rivals in the stacked-high women’s 200m in the Muller Grand Prix in Birmingham on Saturday (18), the last stop on the IAAF Diamond League circuit before finals nights in Zurich and Brussels.
At that stage, reigning world champion Dafne Schippers, was still marginally in front, having overtaken the fast-starting triple European gold medallist, Dina Asher-Smith, but Miller-Uibo was on a serious charge, those long levers of hers rapidly gaining ground. Decisively so.
Her long, flowing hair dyed a distinctively two-tone pink and purple, the 24-year-old Bahamian strutted her high-speed stuff peacock-fashion, surging ahead to win in 22.15, a meeting record with Asher-Smith rallying for second in 22.31 and Schippers third in 22.41.
It is 12 months and a week now since Miller-Uibo, the reigning Olympic champion at 400m, last tasted the pang of defeat in a 200m race – taking bronze behind Schippers and Marie-Josee Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast (seventh here in 22.88) at the IAAF World Championships in London.
Asher-Smith might hold the world lead, courtesy of the breakthrough 21.89 with which she bagged her second gold at the European Championships in Berlin last week, but Miller-Uibo has beaten her three times in the 200m in 2018 – the Commonwealth Games final at the Gold Coast in April, where the Bahamian took gold, and the Briton bronze, and at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Rabat last month, where they finished one-and-two and Miller-Uibo clocked 22.29.
Asher-Smith intends to concentrate on the 100m at the Diamond League finals in Brussels on 31 August, and at the IAAF Continental Cup in Ostrava next month, so the 22-year-old Briton will have to wait until next year to back up her super-fast time in Berlin with a true claim to the world number one spot.
After expending so much speed and mental energy in Berlin, where she also clocked a world lead equaling 10.85 in the 100m, Asher-Smith looked somewhat depleted here.
“I think it’s been tougher emotionally because it was such a surprise for me doing so well in Berlin,” the Londoner confessed. “Having to refocus and race again five days after getting back has been a tough one.
“I am tired but I’m happy I was able to come out and perform in such a stacked field – full of girls who, apart from Dafne and me – have been resting up.”
As for Miller-Uibo, she remains unbeaten in eleven races at all distances in 2018 (and also in the high jump and shot she contested at the Bahamas Championships). She heads for the first of the two IAAF Diamond League finals in Brussels on 30 August, likely to focus on the 400m instead of an ambition one-night 200m-400m double.
“But it was a great race today. I’m happy to come out on top and to get a pretty fast time.
“Once I put myself into the race off the curve I used my 400m strength to power home.”
Coming off the curve into the home straight, Jenna Prandini was level with Asher-Smith and Schippers but the U.S. sprinter faded to fifth (22.55) with Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson fourth (22.55). (Sportsmax.com)