Favour OFILI (Nigeria) |Women's 200m Semi-final 1 |Commonwealth Games 2022 Athletics |5th Aug 2022 |

Well, the semi-finals coming up for the Women's 200m now, three semi-finals. The first two go through by right with two non-automatic qualifiers. Their final, by the way, is the last race tomorrow night, so they'll have over 24 hours to rest up for the final. Those, the lucky eight, who make it through to that final. There is the field. Look for a great run from Gina Bass here in four. And the Nigerian, a favor of Philly, too. She's in fine fettle. Natalia White, eighth in the 100 here. Watch her for a fast start from her. So, Jacinta Beecher of Australia goes on the outside, 22.70. The law student was a fifth in her heat in 23.13. There is Abby Gilpin of Guernsey, third in her heat in 24.04. That was the season's best. Hania Bryant of Wales, sixth in the World Juniors 100 back in 2016. A semi-finalist in the 100 here, second in her heat in 24.04. She needs to go a lot quicker. Here is one of the class act athletes, the Jamaican Natalia White, fourth in the Jamaican Championships. A finalist in the 100 here a couple of days ago. A favor, awfully, of Nigeria. A semi-finalist in the World Championships back in Doha over 400m. She's a really classy one-lap of the 19-year-old. Look for her to come late. Gina Bass goes in lane four. A semi-finalist in Tokyo, 100 and 200m. Her personal best, 22.58. Charlotte Wingfield of Malta goes in lane three, fourth in her heat in the windy 24.04. London born, no Wingfield. Shanti Veronica Pereira of Singapore goes in lane two. Semi-finalist in the 100, fourth in her heat here, but in a national record of 23.46. There's often a silver lining whether you qualify for the next round or not. So the first seat of three then, 200m. Pereira goes in one. Wingfield in two. Bass in four. Offaly in five. White in six. Breyer in seven. Galpin in eight. And Beecher on the outside for Australia. So. Showing first, really good running from Gina Bass in lane four. Outside her, the Nigerian Offaly getting into a running now. Picked it up round the middle of the bend and steaming away with this one. And looking very strong. She's powerful and she's long and she's rangy. It's only the first two who'll go through by right, remember. She's going to be fine as Offaly, but who's going to get second place? Desperately tied to the line there. And I think maybe Natalia White did enough, held her form through despite the desperate lunge of Gina Bass in lane four. No doubting the winner, plus 1.9 the win behind, because that's a legal time. And the 22.66 for Offaly. And it was White who took second place. 23.09. It was incredibly tight for second spot. Gina Bass lent desperately at the tape there. Did she lean too soon, Kath Mary? Well, she's come through at 23.09. As you say, the lean of Gina Bass means at the moment she's in one of those non-automatic qualifying positions, of course, to 23.10 seconds. But the Nigerian ran this well, didn't she? Offaly in lane number five, committed on the bend. There's no holding back from any of these athletes now. So semi-final at the Commonwealth Games and the foot is well and truly on the gas. And Bass here, look at the battle, look at the lean here between the athlete from the Gambia and Jamaica. And there is the photo finish. The line, of course, being taken back to the chest, which is what it's read from. But no problem from Offaly there, Tim. Looking good, done and dusted. Sorry, Kath, yeah. Very smooth running, indeed, in favour of Offaly. She took a while to get moving, didn't she, in true 400 metre run of style. She didn't come out of the blocks and blast at first 70 or so. But a very mature, controlled race from one so young. She's only 19 in favour of Offaly, though quite a talent here, the Nigerian. You can see her there, picking up pace, it seems, almost accelerating around the first 70 or 80 metres, then just holding up form here now. Nice high knees, beautiful form from the Nigerian. 22.66, well, she has gone many metres quicker.