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The native of Bern runs the 200 m faster than ever before – and rewarded herself with a place in the final at the World Championships in Eugene.
Mujinga Kambundji smashed her own Swiss record at the World Championships in Athletics in Eugene. She completed her semi-final over 200 m in 22.05 seconds and ran a full 13 hundredths faster than she did at the Citius meeting in Wankdorf in Bern a month ago.
Afterwards, the tremors began for the 30-year-old. As third behind Shericka Jackson (JAM) and Aminatou Seyni (NIG) she had to hope to get one of the two remaining places in the final via time.
Elaine Thompson-Herah ejected Kambundji after the second semi-final heat. But the Swiss had luck on her side. The third semifinal heat was slower than Kambundji’s. Accordingly, no athlete was able to displace the Swiss from the second lucky loser place.
“Thought I had to run under 21 seconds”
Kambundji is thus in the 200m final of a major intercontinental event for the third time in a row. In 2017 at the World Cup in London, she narrowly missed the final. At that time, the exceptional Swiss sprinter ran 22.85. Two years later she won her first World Championships medal in Doha with a bronze medal over the half track. And she also made it into the final at the Olympics in Tokyo – as well as over 100 m. Now, on Friday night, Swiss time, there will be another final on the big stage.
Coaches Adrian Rothenbühler and Kambundji had speculated in the run-up to the semi-finals that a time of less than 21 seconds would be necessary for a place in the finals given the level of performance. In the end, this was just not the case.
In the interview after her final qualification, she looked at the screen in disbelief. “They won’t change that now, will they?” she asked. “I thought I had to run under 21 seconds. But I’m extremely happy. It felt so much better than before.”
Unlike before, Kambundji can now recover for two days. Like the men’s final, the 200 m final will take place on Friday night, Swiss time.