OLYMPIC champions Noah Lyles and Julien Alfred will start as the athletes to beat when the 100m heats begin in Tokyo on Saturday. Lyles faces a strong challenge from Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson and Oblique Seville, who have both recorded victories over the American this season. Alfred will be pursued by a talented group including American double sprint champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, who brings the world-leading time into the championships.
Lyles and Alfred arrive in the Japanese capital with clear targets on their backs following their Olympic successes and strong Diamond League performances. Lyles secured a confidence-boosting win over Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo in the 200m at the Zurich Diamond League final last month. Alfred also claimed a morale-boosting 100m victory in Zurich and stated her intention to add another global title to her collection for St Lucia.
Kishane Thompson presents the biggest threat to Lyles after finishing just five-thousandths of a second behind him for Olympic silver in Paris. Thompson has run a world-leading 9.75 seconds this season, placing him sixth on the all-time list. Fellow Jamaican Oblique Seville has beaten Lyles twice in Diamond League meetings, leading sprint legend Usain Bolt to predict a Jamaican one-two finish. Bolt emphasised that execution will be key for both Jamaican sprinters to claim the top spots.
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden leads the challengers against Alfred after becoming the first woman since 2003 to complete the 100-200m double at the US trials. Her personal best of 10.65 seconds makes her the joint fifth-fastest woman in history and represents the world-leading time this year. The 24-year-old American expressed confidence in her preparation and emphasised the importance of delivering her best performance at the world championships.
Letsile Tebogo emerges as the most likely candidate to disrupt the expected US-Jamaican dominance in the men’s event. The 22-year-old Botswana sprinter has proven competitive over the shorter distance and should challenge for a podium position. Tebogo previously accused Lyles of arrogance after the Olympic 200m final but prefers to let his performances speak for themselves rather than adopting his rival’s outspoken style.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce competes as an unlikely outsider in her final world championships before retirement at age 38. The five-time world 100m champion and three-time Olympic gold medalist aims to conclude her remarkable 17-year career in magnificent fashion. Defending world champion Sha’Carri Richardson also enters as a relative outsider, with her off-track activities sometimes overshadowing her considerable on-track abilities. – AFP
