Felix leads US 200 stars into London

Two-time Olympic runner-up Allyson Felix ran the sixth-fastest women’s 200 metres in history on Saturday, winning the final at the US Olympic Trials in 21.69 seconds.

Felix, embroiled in controversy over a deadlock for the final 100m Olympic spot, served notice she will be a gold favourite in London by surging to the lead quickly and leaving behind a world-class field to set a personal best.

Only doping-disgraced Marion Jones, Jamaica’s Merlene Ottey and the late world record-holder Florence Griffth-Joyner have ever run faster than Felix did to ensure she would reach the London Olympics.

“I don’t think it has quite sunk in yet,” Felix said. “For so long I have looked at those times and wanted to be on that list. But the job is not done. It’s all about London.”

It was the fastest time clocked in the event since Jones went 21.62 in 1998 in South Africa.

“It’s very rare for me to come off the corner in the lead,” Felix said. “There were so many strong people in the race you could never be comfortable. I just dug deep and tried to keep going.

“I was thrilled with my race. Everything came together at the right time.”

Carmelita Jeter, the reigning world 100m champion and 2011 world 200m runner-up, was second in 22.11 with Sanya Richards-Ross third in 22.22 to claim the other two Olympic berths on offer. There was a 1.0m/sec tailwind.

Jeter will go for a 100-200 double in her first Olympics, a choice she only made after winning the 100 last weekend.