Olympic double hopes dashed as Felix misses 200m team

By Gene Cherry

(Reuters) – Olympic champion Allyson Felix failed to make the U.S. team in the 200 meters at the American trials on Sunday, ending her dream for a rare 200-400 meters double at Rio Olympics.

The 30-year-old had earlier won the 400 meters at the trials but finished a non-advancing fourth in the 200 meters by one-hundreth of a second.

A lunging Jenna Prandini squeezed past Felix to claim the third and last spot on the U.S. team in 22.53 seconds.

Tori Bowie finished first and local collegian Deajah Stevens claimed the runner-up spot.

“I gave it all I had but it just wasn’t there today,” said Felix, who two month ago could not even walk because of a sprained ankle.

But it was the lack of conditioning, not the ankle, that was the problem on Sunday, she said.

“The speed just wasn’t there,” said Felix, who had not run a 200 meters this year until the trials. “When I give all I have and run 22.5, it (her speed) is just not there.”

The world 400 meters champion had hoped to become only the third woman to win both the 200 and 400 meters at the same Olympics, and athletics’ governing body had even changed the Rio schedule to make it more feasible.

“It is disappointing, but when I look back, and see everything that happened I still think it is amazing,” said Felix.

She had met her first challenge of the trials by winning the 400 meters in the year’s fastest time and will run that event in Rio.

She also hopes to complete on both relays at the Games as she did at the London Olympics.

(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Eugene, Oregon; Editing by Andrew Both)