DEFENDING champion Noah Lyles, Jamaican rival Kishane Thompson and Botswanan Letsile Tebogo all coasted through their heats at the world championships to advance to the semi-finals of the men’s 100m.
The next round of the blue riband event in the Japanese capital is scheduled for 1145 GMT on Sunday, with the final set for 1320 GMT.
Lyles, the Olympic 100m champion who is also a three-time defending world 200m champion, is the outspoken face of men’s sprinting.
Thompson, who won Olympic 100m silver just five-thousandths of a second behind Lyles in Paris, and Olympic 200m champion Tebogo prefer the quieter approach.
Lyles was granted a vociferous welcome as the cameras relayed his face onto the giant screens at the National Stadium.
Under pressure from Jamaica’s fast-starting Ackeem Blake, Lyles eventually powered through for the heat win in 9.95 seconds.
“I had a great start today but I had even better ones at practice,“ said Lyles, who said he was enjoying performing in front of the crowds.
“It is great to be back in Tokyo. It is way better than last time,“ he added.
Thompson looked in impressive form as he won his heat, also in 9.95 seconds.
Tebogo had the slowest heat of all, winning with ease in 10.07 seconds ahead of Canadian veteran Andre De Grasse.
“In 100m, a perfect start is needed and if you have it, everything will be alright,“ said Tebogo.
A third Jamaican, Oblique Seville, had a terrible start that saw him scrambling back to snatch the third and final automatic qualifying spot.
South African Gift Leotlela won in a personal best 9.87 seconds.
Leotlela’s experienced teammate Akani Simbine also progressed to the next round.
Another American advancing was Kenny Bednarek, who qualified for Sunday’s semis with a comfortable heat win in 10.01 seconds despite forgetting to pack his spikes.
“I am just a clumsy dude,“ he said. “I have been focusing on so many things.”
Two other US runners were also expected to go through with Courtney Lindsay having no problem but T’Mars McCallum failed to make the cut.
His race was won by Nigerian Israel Okon in 10.04 ahead of Britain’s world bronze medallist Zharnel Hughes. – AFP
