Athletics-Lyles puts 200m field on notice with red-hot heat

By Amy Tennery

EUGENE, Ore. (Reuters) -Reigning world champion Noah Lyles confirmed he’s no temper to surrender his 200 metres crown after setting a red-hot tempo to win his warmth on Monday.

The sprinting showman rounded the curve with ease earlier than wagging his finger at the remainder of the sector down the straight to complete in 19.98 seconds and advance to Tuesday’s semi-finals.

Celebrating his twenty fifth birthday, Olympic bronze medallist Lyles mentioned he had jitters through the three-day wait to compete in entrance of the house crowd in Eugene, Oregon.

His rivalry with fellow American Erriyon Knighton is predicted to supply fireworks.

Lyles denied the 18-year-old a spot on the rostrum on the Tokyo Olympics and ran previous him down the stretch to clinch the nationwide championship final month, prompting Knighton to storm off throughout a post-race interview.

Knighton bought off to an explosive begin on Monday earlier than easing up close to the midway mark and cruising to victory in his warmth in 20.01.

“I can not ask for extra, I’m on the spot the place I wish to be,” mentioned Knighton. “One among my greatest years, if not my greatest and I’m simply comfortable.”

Alexander Ogando, who helped the Dominican Republic choose up gold within the 4x400m blended relay on Friday, equalled Knighton’s time in his warmth, cruising previous the U.S. Olympic silver medallist Kenny Bednarek down the straight.

Two days after main an American sweep of the 100m, Fred Kerley jogged via to the end to win his warmth however mentioned he was “nonetheless in restoration mode”.

Canadian Andre De Grasse, the Olympic champion who took silver on the worlds three years in the past, withdrew from the 200 after failing to qualify for the 100m ultimate on Saturday.

One other Canadian, Aaron Brown, stumbled and fell ahead after his blocks slipped however was issued a inexperienced card and allowed to run, ending second in his warmth behind 400m indoors champion Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago.

Within the girls’s heats, Jamaica’s terrific trio of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson and Elaine Thompson-Herah rolled via to the semi-finals lower than 24 hours after sweeping the 100m podium.

“Oh man, it was laborious,” mentioned Fraser-Pryce, who collected her fifth world 100m gold on Sunday. “It was a late evening and I wanted to return again and attempt to qualify as straightforward as I can to protect my power for tomorrow.

“Simply must go residence and get some restoration achieved and see the way it goes tomorrow.”

Making her debut on the world championships, residence hope Abby Steiner gained her warmth comfortably in 22.26. Steiner posted the second-fastest time of the 12 months at nationals on the identical springy Hayward Subject monitor final month.

Niger’s Aminatou Seyni and Namibian Beatrice Masilingi, who’re barred from their most well-liked 400m occasion as a result of World Athletics’ “Variations of Sexual Growth” guidelines, superior to the semi-final with Seyni producing the quickest time (21.98).

(Reporting by Amy Tennery in Eugene, Oregon, further reporting by Gene Cherry; Modifying by Peter Rutherford)