Shelly-Anne Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson and Elaine Thompson-Herah, fresh from their Jamaican clean sweep in the 100 metres, all qualified for the world 200m final on Tuesday but it was not all plain sailing in a stunningly-fast trio of semifinals.
Jackson, who messed up horribly in the heats at the Tokyo Olympics when she almost stopped at the line and got overtaken and eliminated made no mistake this time. She roared clear round the bend earning a big enough lead to safely ease down as much as 40 metres out yet still post 21.67 - the fastest of the night and a time only she has bettered this season.
Despite the experience gained from twice being a double sprint gold medallist, Thompson-Herah looked like she took her foot off the gas in the final few metres, almost fatally.
American Tamara Clark and Britain’s defending champion Dina Asher-Smith both dipped ahead of her - with two hundredths of a second between all three - but Thomson-Herah’s 21.97 was enough to send her into the final as one of two fastest losers.
Fraser-Pryce, who claimed her fifth world 100m gold on Sunday, had an incredible start to stamp her authority on the third heat, easing down to finish in 21.82 ahead of American Abby Steiner - second fastest in the world this year but having to work hard to stay in the Jamaican’s slipstream. Such was the standard of the semis that four women, led by American Jenna Prandini with 22.08, failed to make it to Thursday’s showdown despite running times that would have qualified for every previous final.
Lyles, Knighton book 200 metres showdown
A highly anticipated showdown between reigning winner Noah Lyles and 18-year-old sensation Erriyon Knighton is set, after the two Americans produced blazing-fast times to win their semifinals.
Lyles was simply flawless, holding off compatriot Kenny Bednarek down the final stretch in the fastest time of the day at 19.62 seconds to reach Thursday’s final at the speedy Hayward Field track.
“I am exactly where I wanted to be because I got the win,” said Lyles. “My coach told me to get out a little bit of the beast today. So I am going to let out the whole thing.”
Knighton made easy work of his heat, finishing a few metres clear of the rest of the field after an explosive start, leading to a time of 19.77 seconds.
The two top contenders arrived in Eugene, Oregon, with unfinished business, after the jocular Lyles denied the stoic Knighton, who has produced the fastest time this year, a spot on the podium as the bronze medal winner in Tokyo.
There was no love lost between the pair as Lyles ran down his young compatriot to win the national championships last month also at Hayward.
Still catching his breath from leading an American clean sweep of the 100 metres final on Saturday, Fred Kerley’s hope of a sprint double ended as he finished sixth in his heat.
The 100m Olympic silver medallist was off the pace coming off the turn and slowed down the final stretch, grimacing in pain through the finish line.
“I had a cramp but that is a part of the game,” he told reporters. “Still have got the rest of the season. No impact, I am good.”
There was still hope of another sprint sweep for the home crowd at Eugene, Oregon, however, as Olympic silver medallist Bednarek advanced on an automatic qualification.
Alexander Ogando, who helped the Dominican Republic pick up gold in the 4x400m mixed relay on Friday, also moved on along with Canadian Aaron Brown.
Brown’s compatriot Andre De Grasse, the Olympic champion who took silver at the worlds three years ago, withdrew from the 200m after failing to qualify for the 100m final on Saturday.
Another notable absence from the semifinal round was Jamaican Yohan Blake, the all-time second-fastest in the 200m, who pulled out because of a swollen foot.
Brazil’s dos Santos wins 400m hurdles world final
Brazilian Alison dos Santos denied record-holder Karsten Warholm a third successive title, winning the 400-metre hurdles in a blazing-fast 46.29 seconds.
While the hype heading into the final had largely focused on a showdown between Norwegian Olympic champion Warholm and his American rival Rai Benjamin, the Tokyo bronze medallist had the victory locked up down the final straight, clinching it in a championship record, with Benjamin taking silver.
Warholm had twice broken the world record in 2021 but walked into Eugene, Oregon, with a question mark over his head after suffering a hamstring tear in June, having not completed a race in 10 months.
He appeared to be still in contention for the podium until after the final turn, but he struggled down the final metres of the race to finish seventh.
American Trevor Bassitt took bronze and Benjamin tackled his compatriot in a scene of utter joy as the result was shown on the big screen.
Dos Santos told reporters this week he had rededicated himself to learning his craft after finishing third in Tokyo, an effort that clearly paid off.
He has collected four Diamond League wins so far in 2022 and his time on Tuesday was the fastest of the year.
Patterson wins world high jump gold with personal best leap
Australian Eleanor Patterson picked the perfect time to produce her lifetime best leap as she cleared an Oceania record of 2.02 metres to win a surprise high jump gold.
Patterson failed twice at 1.98, once at her previous best of 2.00 but cleared 2.02 at the first attempt, giving her gold on countback ahead of Ukrainian favourite Yaroslava Mahuchikh, who needed two tries to get over the same height.
Italy’s Elena Vallortigara was error-free up to matching her personal best of 2 metres but though she could not go any further she took bronze on countback.
Olympic and multiple world champion Mariya Lasitskene was absent because of the ban on Russian athletes in Eugene.
Briton Wightman takes shock 1,500m gold with dad commentating
Briton Jake Wightman took a surprise 1,500m gold as he outkicked Olympic champion and hot favourite Jakob Ingebrigtsen on the final lap on Tuesday, with his proud father Geoff calling him home as the announcer.
Wightman had been knocking at the door for a couple of years and showed his confidence when he did what almost nobody does - went past the Norwegian on the back straight of the final lap. He then drove on to cross the line in 3 minutes 29.23, the fastest time in the world this year, looking utterly shocked.
Wightman’s father Geoff, used to the combination by now but never previously seeing such a victory, somehow kept his emotion in check as he called his son home.
Ingebrigtsen took silver, with Spain’s Mohamed Katir finishing strongly for bronze.
Ceh dethrones Sweden’s Stahl to win world discus title
Young gun Kristjan Ceh of Slovenia dethroned Sweden’s Daniel Stahl in the discus final on Tuesday, giving the performance of his life to win gold.
Olympic champion and 2019 winner Stahl very briefly held the lead with a 66.59-metres opener but was quickly overtaken by Lithuanian duo Mykolas Alekna and Andrius Gudzius, improving to 67.10 on his fifth try but never getting himself back into medal contention.
The 23-year-old Ceh sent roars through Hayward Field as he rocketed a 71.13-metre third attempt across the lawn, clinching the top of podium in a championship record.
Alekna and Gudzius finished with silver and bronze, jogging along the track with their nation’s flag waving behind them.
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