By Mitch Phillips
EUGENE, Oregon (Reuters) -American Fred Kerley blasted out a warning that he, and the springy Hayward Field track, are in hot form as he blasted to a 9.79 seconds victory in the World Championships 100m heats on Friday, but Olympic champion Lamont Jacobs looked rusty.
Olympic silver medallist Kerley had posted the year’s leading time and a personal best of 9.76 on the same track when winning the U.S. trials last month and he looks well-equipped to surpass that in the semi-finals or final on Saturday.
Kerley’s time was the fastest heat ever recorded in the 39-year history of the World Championships. He is one of only three men, along with South Africa’s Wayde van Niekerk and U.S. runner Michael Norman, to have broken 10 seconds in the 100m, 20 seconds in the 200m and 44 seconds in the 400m.
Italian Jacobs, the shock winner in Tokyo, has struggled with a thigh injury this year and though he equalled his season’s best of 10.04 he trailed impressive Jamaican heat winner Oblique Seville (9.93).
Jacobs, who did not look comfortable crossing the line, was also shown a rare yellow card for being late to the call room.
“The stadium, the track and the atmosphere were great but I struggled in the race,” he said.
“I’m not at my 100% but gave everything I had. I will go to physio to be ready for tomorrow.
“Running 10.04 at half capacity of what I can run, I can say my physical shape is fine. I just need to get my legs ready.”
Marvin Bracy, second in the U.S. trials, had got things underway with a 10.05, and though there was plenty of support for the home runners, it was a disappointing crowd with the 12,500-capacity stadium only around half-full for the opening evening session of the first World Championship held in the United States.
Bracy, however, had only good things to say.
“The experience is beautiful,” he said. “It’s nice to have the crowd on our side. I came out to run, execute, get a good time, shut down and save (energy) for tomorrow. You don’t win medals in the prelims.”
WORTH THE JOURNEY
Trayvon Bromell, second-fastest this year and desperate to make amends for the Tokyo Olympics when he failed to make the final after entering the Games as favourite, also looked strong as he eased down early en route to a 9.89 time.
Defending champion Christian Coleman won his heat in 10.08 but Olympic and world bronze medallist Andre de Grasse, who has struggled for form all season, again lacked sharpness as he finished second behind him in 10.12
Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo set an under-20 world record of 9.94 when leading home former world champion Yohan Blake in his heat, the 19-year-old also collecting a yellow card.
Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala, the third fastest man in the field this year, who served a doping ban in 2017, arrived in Eugene only a matter of hours before the heats after visa problems.
Unsurprisingly, he did not look the best-prepared athlete in the field but scraped through as the third finisher of the final heat in 10.10.
“It looks like everybody is talking about me but I hope it is for a good reason,” said Omanyala, one of many athletes, coaches and officials who encountered visa problems, with about 100 not expected to make it to Eugene.
“I just want to focus on the race and not the other things around. My body feels heavy now but even if I had not made it from the heats, the journey would be worth coming here.”
(Reporting by Mitch Phillips, additonal reporting by Gene Cherry, editing by Peter Rutherford)
