Tokyo Olympic champ Thompson-Herah keeping Flo-Jo’s time in view

“It
is
in
my
reach.
On
a
perfect
day,
and
perfect
weather
if
I
get
that,
I
would
definitely
challenge
it,”
the
Jamaican
sprinter
said
Wednesday,
four
days
after
running
10.54
–
the
second-fastest
women’s
100
of
all-time
–
at
the
Prefontaine
meeting
in
Eugene,
Oregon.

The
temperature
was
only
around
26
degrees
C
(79
degrees
F)
in
Eugene
on
Saturday
afternoon
when
she
ran
0.07
quicker
than
her
previous
best,
which
came
when
she
defended
her
Olympic
title
on
the
fast
track
in
Tokyo.

“I
tell
myself,
(the
temperature)
doesn’t
matter,”
she
said.
“Going
to
Prefontaine
there
was
no
intention
of
breaking
that
world
record.
It
was
a
normal
work
day
for
me.
If
it
doesn’t
happen
this
season,
I’m
fine
with
the
time
that
I
have
got
right
now.”

If
Thompson-Herah
does
not
set
the
record
in
the
season-ending
meets
on
the
Diamond
League
circuit,
she
could
peak
next
year
back
in
Eugene
at
the
world
championships
in
July.

“She
is
a
good
inspiration
to
the
sport,”
Thompson-Herah
said
when
asked
about
Flo-Jo’s
legacy
in
track
and
field.
“How
she
ran
her
races,
they
were
so
easy
and
smooth.
So
I
try
to
do
pretty
much
the
same.”

The
top
six
finishers
from
Tokyo
will
all
line
up
in
Lausanne,
including
silver
medalist
Shelly-Ann
Fraser-Pryce,
who
was
also
second
to
her
Jamaican
teammate
on
Saturday
in
Eugene.

“I
definitely
have
not
run
my
best
race
as
yet,”
said
Fraser-Pryce,
the
2008
and
2012
Olympic
champion
who
ran
her
lifetime-best
10.63
this
year
at
the
age
of
34.
“Seeing
women’s
sprinting
at
the
level
it
is
at
is
truly
remarkable,”
she
said.

“I’m
glad
I
am
able
to
be
in
that
conversation.”
A
stellar
Athletissima
lineup
will
have
a
near
sold-out
crowd
of
about
12,000
to
see
a
slew
of
Olympic
champions
and
world
record
holders
at
the
first
major
European
meet
since
the
Tokyo
Games.

“We
haven’t
had
a
full
stadium
for
a
couple
of
years
or
so,”
Olympic
pole
vault
champion
Armand
Duplantis
said.
“It’s
just
more
fun.”

(AP)