By Billie Eder
She beat the fastest woman in the world, but there’s still no guarantee Torrie Lewis will run at the Paris Olympics.
The Australian sprinter won her 200 metres Diamond League debut in 22.96 seconds, beating world 100m champion Sha’Carri Richardson, to put the athletics world on notice three months out from the Games.
The 19-year-old from Newcastle started gaining attention in January when she became the fastest Australian woman ever, running the 100m in 11.10 – 0.01 faster than the record set by Mel Breen a decade ago.
Now the England-born sprinter faces a choice: try and qualify for Paris in the 100m – an event she’s more proficient in – or risk it by turning her attention to the 200m.
Australia’s Torrie Lewis won the 200m in her Diamond League debut in China.Credit: Eddie Jim
“I think I’m going to have to focus on one, just because of the relay as well,” Lewis said last week.
“I’m closer in times to qualify in the 100, but I do personally feel like I would be a bit more competitive at the Olympics in the 200. Ideally for me, would rather do the 200, but you know, whatever event gets me there I’ll do, I’ll be happy.”
To reach Paris, Lewis would need to run a qualifying time of 11.07 or under in the 100m, or 22.57 in the 200m.
If she isn’t able to hit either benchmark, she’ll be relying on her world ranking to qualify. Rankings are decided by an athlete’s average point score over their five best performances during the qualification period.
But Lewis is optimistic, and not only believes she can run the times but also get her name in the record books while doing it.
“I think, and I also want, to be the first woman in Australia to go sub-11 seconds [in the 100m], I think that’s a very realistic goal of mine, and similar in the 200, I want to get to either the low 22s [seconds] or sub-22. I think that’s very realistic,” she said.
Torrie Lewis (far left) pips Sha’Carri Richardson (centre) to the line in the 200m in China.Credit: Matthew Quine
“I want my name to be there forever, if it can. Obviously, the records are always going to be broken, but I want to make it as hard as possible for the next person to come and break it.”
The last Australian woman to win an Olympic medal in the 100m or 200m was Raelene Boyle, who won silver at the 1972 Munich Games in both the 100m and 200m. Boyle also won silver in the 200m at the 1968 Mexico City Games.
“I think when an Australian gets a medal in track and field, like Cathy Freeman or Sally Pearson, it’s just remembered so well because it’s so hard to get one for us in track and field,” Lewis said. “I think it makes it really special and meaningful when someone from Australia is able to get a gold medal [in those events].”
Now, Lewis’ focus turns to the next event in the Bahamas this week after her win in China, and will spend the next couple of months attempting to achieve Olympic eligibility before the window closes in June.
“All I think I need to do is stay fit and healthy, injury-free, get myself to the starting line in one piece and I think I’ll be able to either run the times or run myself into the points quota to also qualify,” Lewis said.
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