World Athletics Championship 2023: Reigning champion Kerley fails to qualify for 100m finals; Jacobs misses cut

American Fred Kerley will not be defending his world 100 metres title later on Sunday after he failed to progress from the semifinals, as his compatriots Noah Lyles and Christian Coleman qualified fastest for the final.

Published : Aug 20, 2023 20:47 IST - 1 MIN READ

Fred Kerley of the U.S fails to qualify for 100m finals.
Fred Kerley of the U.S fails to qualify for 100m finals. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
infoIcon

Fred Kerley of the U.S fails to qualify for 100m finals. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

American Fred Kerley will not be defending his world 100 metres title later on Sunday after he failed to progress from the semifinals, as his compatriots Noah Lyles and Christian Coleman qualified fastest for the final.

Kerley, who has been in good form this season, was never in the mix in the last of three heats, finishing third in 10.02 to miss out on a fastest-loser slot by a hundredth of a second.

Lyles was the quickest qualifier as he posted 9.87, within a hundredth of his personal best, punching the air as he crossed the line.

FOLLOW | World Athletics Championship Day 2 LIVE Updates

Former champion Coleman got his traditional fast start and maintained his form to win the second heat in 9.88, but Britain’s Zharnel Hughes, the fastest in the world this year, was slow out of the blocks and had to work hard to clinch second spot in 9.93.

Jamaican Oblique Seville looks the best-equipped to challenge the Americans after winning the third heat in 9.90.

Japan’s Abdul Hakim Sani Brown equalled his best of 9.97 - the first time he has gone under 10 seconds this season, to also qualify automatically.

Italy’s Olympic champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs ran his season’s best of 10.05 but it was nowhere near good enough to progress.

South African Akani Simbine’s streak of finishing fourth or fifth in the last five global championships is over after he was disqualified for a false start.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment