Felix set for 200, Bolt reaches semis at world championships

BERLIN — After hitting the top of the medals table, the United States brings one of its greatest athletes to the track Wednesday at the world championships.

Defending 200-meter champion Allyson Felix will try to lift the gloom hanging over the American sprint team when she enters qualifying, freshly boosted by a double gold won by teammates Sanya Richards and Kerron Clement on Tuesday.

But much like the American men’s runners facing Usain Bolt in the semifinals of the 200 late Wednesday, Felix will have to battle the surging Jamaican women sprinters.

After being the big star with three golds at the last world championships in Osaka, Japan, Felix was upstaged at the Beijing Olympics in the 200 by Veronica Campbell-Brown.

With the U.S. sprint team already down 2-0 to Jamaica in golds at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Felix will have to step up and bounce back from her Beijing defeat.

Much like Sanya Richards did.

Richards shook off years of disappointment Tuesday with her first major title in the 400 meters, leaving her main rival, Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu of Britain, way back in fifth place.

And the U.S. blue also crossed the finish line ahead of Jamaica’s yellow when Richards held off Shericka Williams.

“I finally got it right,” Richards said after running for seven years to get her first title.

In Beijing last year, Richards faltered over the last 50 meters to let Ohuruogu win. Not so this year.

Known for her competitive spirit, Ohuruogu conceded Richards had caught up with her in that department.

“She wanted it a little bit more than the rest of us,” Ohuruogu said.

When Clement successfully defended his men’s 400 hurdles title, holding off a late challenge from Javier Culson of Puerto Rico, the U.S. team moved to the top of the table.

The Americans have three golds and seven medals overall, ahead of Russia with two golds and seven total. Jamaica has two golds and five medals overall.

The U.S. team could also pick up another gold in the 100 hurdles, where Olympic champion Dawn Harper and teammate Damu Cherry have shown good form.

Bolt, however, was looking to keep the Jamaican sprint shutout going.

In the absence of injured defending champion Tyson Gay, Bolt is the overwhelming favorite for gold on Thursday in the 200, and he said he would try to get a second world record at the championships, too.

The Jamaican set a record of 19.30 seconds in the 200 at the Beijing Olympics, widely considered one of the toughest to beat in the sport.

Also Wednesday, there are finals in the women’s 800, and the men’s discus and 1,500 meters.