Elaine seals double-double win

TOKYO • Elaine Thompson-Herah made Olympic history yesterday, blazing to victory in the 200 metres to complete an unprecedented women's sprinting "double-double", but all the Jamaican wants now is to have a good rest.

The 2016 Olympics 100m and 200m gold medallist, who successfully retained her 100m title on Saturday, bagged a record fourth individual gold after storming home in a blistering 21.53 seconds.

Namibian teenager Christine Mboma took silver in 21.81sec while the United States' Gabby Thomas won bronze in 21.87sec.

"Honestly I just need to sleep, I have not slept since the 100m, honestly my body is in shock mode, but I still had my composure to come out here," said Thompson-Herah.

"I knew my time wouldn't be fast because yesterday we ran two rounds, which took a lot from me, I equalled my PB last night. So to come out to get a national record and become a two-time Olympian, I am so happy.

"I was begging for the line, but you have to hold your technique through the line. I know my grandma is celebrating right now."

The 29-year-old's time was the second fastest in history after Florence Griffith Joyner's world record of 21.34sec set at the drug-tarnished 1988 Seoul Olympics.

As well as becoming the first woman to claim a 100m-200m "double-double", Thompson-Herah is the only female track and field athlete to win four individual Olympic golds.

"It feels good to be in the history book, to set a barrier for the other generation of athletes coming up because we have got a lot of athletes coming from Jamaica. It means a lot to me to set this barrier," she added.

The Jamaican got off to a blistering start, building a lead off the bend which she never relinquished as she crossed the line.

It looked as if Thomas and Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce would take the silver and bronze, but that duo were passed by a scorching finish over the final 20m from 18-year-old Mboma.

Teenager Athing Mu became the first American woman to win the Olympic 800m crown in more than half a century yesterday.

The 19-year-old prodigy from New Jersey, who turned professional only in June after a successful college career, led from start to finish to win in a new US national record of 1min 55.21sec.

Britain's Keely Hodgkinson, 19, took silver in 1:55.88 while American Raevyn Rogers took bronze in 1:56.81.

Reigning world champion Malaika Mihambo of Germany won the women's long jump gold with her final leap of 7.00m.

Brittney Reese (6.97) of the United States took the silver ahead of bronze medallist Ese Brume (6.97) of Nigeria - the American was second owing to her second-best jump of 6.95m which was 5cm longer than Brume's effort.

Poland's Anita Wlodarczyk became the first female athlete to win the same track-and-field event three times in a row with victory in the hammer throw.

The 35-year-old, who won golds in the 2012 and 2016 Games in London and Rio, dominated the field with a best throw of 78.48m.

It was a massive 1.45m clear of silver medallist Wang Zheng of China (77.03m), with Poland's Malwina Kopron taking bronze (75.49m).

In the men's competition, Sweden's Armand Duplantis won the pole vault gold. The US-born athlete managed a best of 6.02m, twice going close at 6.19m in a bid to better his own world record.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS