20 July,2022 07:38 AM IST | Eugene (USA) | AFP
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica during the women’s 200m heats; (right) USA’s Fred Kerley competes in the men 200m heats at Eugene on Monday. Pics/Getty Images
Newly-crowned world 100m champion Fred Kerley led a fresh strikeforce of US sprinters into the semi-finals of the men's 200m on Monday. Kerley won his heat in 20.17 seconds to raise the prospect of another US clean sweep, after the sprint all-rounder led Marvin Bracy and Trayvon Bromell home in the blue riband event.
In the absence of that duo, it was the turn of the Americans who finished second, third and fourth in the 200m at last year's Tokyo Olympics - Kenneth Bednarek, world champion Noah Lyles and 18-year-old Erriyon Knighton - to take to the track of Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. And they didn't disappoint, all coasting through their heats for Tuesday's semi-final.
A hyped-up Lyles celebrated his 25th birthday on Monday by setting the fastest qualifying time of 19.98 seconds, the sole sprinter to go sub-20. Lyles, who complained of feeling isolated at the Tokyo Games held in strict COVID-19 regulations, said Eugene was much "more fun."
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"It's completely different from Tokyo. You come out here and I've got my medical staff and I've got my family, I've got my brother [Josephus] in the same competition," Lyles said.
Meanwhile, fresh from winning a record fifth world 100m title, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce easily advanced into the semi-finals of the women's 200m on Monday. "Oh man, it was hard!" said Fraser-Pryce.
"It was a late night and I needed to come back and try to qualify as easy as I can to preserve my strength for tomorrow [Tuesday].
"I am feeling OK so far. Just have to go home and get some recovery done and see how it goes tomorrow. I need to eat some food, get a massage, some compression, and just rest, get some sleep."
Joining the 35-year-old, a world 200m champion in 2013, in Tuesday's semi-finals will be her two teammates who helped snatch an unprecedented clean sweep of the 100m podium for Jamaica on Sunday.
Also Read: 5-time world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce reveals secret to success
Shericka Jackson, who has the quickest time this season of 21.55sec, and four-time Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson-Herah, a world silver medallist over 200m in 2015, are still both seeking their first individual world titles. "Qualified and that is enough for today," said Thompson-Herah.
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