Thompson holds off Schippers to claim sprint double

World champion Dafne Schippers was upstaged in the 200 metres as Elaine Thompson secured a second sprint gold medal in Rio.

Elaine Thompson claimed a remarkable sprint double at Rio 2016 as she held off world champion Dafne Schippers to take gold in the 200 metres.

Schippers came into the race as the overwhelming favourite having beaten Thompson to World Championship gold last year and in the semi-finals on Tuesday.

But it was the Jamaican who rose to the occasion in the final to add to the 100m gold she won on Saturday, finishing in a time of 21.78 seconds, with Schippers a tenth of a second behind.

Schippers came out of the blocks well and ran a strong bend but it was Thompson who went into the home straight with a clear edge.

The Dutch athlete did her best to bridge the gap to Thompson, however, her efforts proved in vain as she was left to settle for what will be a hugely disappointing silver.

American Tori Bowie (22.15secs) added bronze to the silver she won in the 100m.

Author: 
rnarayan