(Eugene) Jamaican Oblique Seville (21) was the fastest in the 100m semi-final of the World Athletics Championships in Eugene (Oregon) in 9 sec 90, without anyone panicking the clock on Saturday before the final of the straight line. Less than a month after contracting COVID-19, Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse was unable to reach the final.
Posted at 9:37 p.m.
Updated at 10:07 p.m.
Seville edged out American Marvin Bracy (993). With Trayvon Bromell, Fred Kerley, the fastest this season, and Christian Coleman, the four Americans have qualified for the final of their home Worlds.
They will be joined by South African Akani Simbine, Japanese Abdul Hakim Sani Brown and Canadian Aaron Brown.
Olympic bronze medalist last summer in Tokyo, the Canadian Andre de Grasse was eliminated, like the Jamaican 2011 world champion Yohan Blake and the Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala, who arrived at the last minute in Oregon because of a health problem. Visa.
De Grasse, a six-time Olympic medalist, finished fifth in his heat. Americans Fred Kerley and Christian Coleman secured their bye to the final as they finished first.
De Grasse finished with a time of 10.21 seconds, 19 hundredths slower than Kerley.
Aged 27, De Grasse had never missed the podium in an individual race at the Worlds or the Olympics before this edition of the Worlds. He won four bronze medals in the 100 metres, two at the Worlds and two at the Olympics.
De Grasse told reporters after the semi-final that he hoped “at least to make the final”, but admitted to not being at the top of his game.
“Guys are running fast now and I didn’t have enough energy in the tank (to keep up). […] I wasn’t 100% for the race, but I wanted to do my best. »
De Grasse has still not confirmed whether he will compete in the 200 meters. His coaches are keeping an eye on that and his energy level.
A foot injury slowed him down earlier this season. He was starting to regain his form when he stopped the clock at 10.05 seconds at the Oslo Diamond League event on June 16, but announced a few days later that he had contracted COVID-19.
De Grasse recently admitted in an interview with The Canadian Press that he even got a little out of breath when climbing the stairs.
Canada sent a delegation of 59 athletes to these Worlds, the third largest sports competition in the world behind the Olympic Games and the Soccer World Cup.
Canadian Aaron Brown qualified for the final as the last sprinter drafted.
Brown finished third in her heat with a time of 10.06 seconds, matching her best time of the season.
The final is scheduled for 7:50 p.m. local time.
Asher-Smith overtakes Jamaicans
On the women’s side, Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith, outgoing vice-world champion and 2018 European champion, was faster than the Jamaican rockets in the 100m heats.
Asher-Smith (26) dominated her series in 10 sec 84. Three hundredths faster than Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (1087), quadruple world champion in the queen race and best world performer of the season (1067), appeared on the track at Hayward Field with a long, faded wig from pink to purple.
Elaine Thompson-Herah, double reigning Olympic champion in the 100m and 200m, but never yet crowned individual world champion, ran in 11 sec 15.
The third Jamaican entered, Shericka Jackson, won her series in 11 sec 02.
Thompson-Herah, Fraser-Pryce and Jackson had monopolized the Olympic podium in the 100m in Tokyo last summer in that order.
The 100m semi-finals and final will take place on Sunday.
Japanese team affected by COVID-19
Seven positive cases of COVID-19 have been detected in the Japanese marathon team present at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, including two athletes, four endurance event staff and the main trainer of the marathon. team, World Athletics and the Japanese Federation announced on Saturday.
The Japanese team had to field six marathon athletes, three men and three women. The men’s event is scheduled for Sunday at 6:15 a.m. (local time), the women’s on Monday at the same time.
“World athletics, the organizers and the Japanese federation are working together to prevent other delegation members from being in the same spaces as other delegations,” the statement said.
The event’s COVID-19 protocol required all attendees to test negative the day before arriving in Eugene, with no requirement to test afterwards.