Sha’Carri Richardson achieved the best world performance of the year in the 100m, with a time of 10”71, Thursday during the American athletics trials in Eugene (Oregon), ahead of the Worlds in Budapest in August, including is eliminated Marvin Bracy on 100m. The American won her series by bettering the previous best time of the year, 10.75, set by the Ivorian Marie-Josée Ta Lou at the Bislett Games on June 15.
Richardson, who missed the 2022 World Championships (held in Eugene) by missing during the selections, also improved his best time on Thursday, under a wind of 0.1 m per second. The 23-year-old athlete was also deprived of the 2021 Olympics, suspended after a positive cannabis test. Brittany Brown, in 10.96, came second in the series, with Tamara Clark posting the third time overall, at 11.02. The semi-finals and the final will take place on Friday.
On the men’s side, the 2019 world champion Christian Coleman won his series by posting the best time, 9”95. He had been suspended for the Olympics, like Richardson, but for breaches of his obligations in terms of doping control. “9”95 on the first lap is a pretty good race,” said Coleman, who wants to put behind him his 3rd place at the New York Grand Prix in June. Cravant Charleston set the second fastest time overall, with 10.01, a hair ahead of the Kendal Williams/JT Smith duo in 10.02.
Trayvon Bromell, in bronze at the Worlds in Eugene, and 200m star Noah Lyles, also qualified for the semifinals by running 10.05. Lyles, the reigning 200m world champion who is aiming for the double with the 100m in Budapest, recovered from a poor start and revealed that he had contracted Covid for the second time, and received his authorization to travel only on Sunday. “A really crazy week,” he said. “I’m still in pretty good shape. My speed (of finish) is there, I just have to wake up my body”.
As for Marvin Bracy, vice-world champion 2022 behind Fred Kerley (already qualified for Budapest), he stopped due to an injury. He will therefore be absent from the Worlds in the 100m in Budapest (August 19-27). In the 400m, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, also already guaranteed to be at the Worlds as the reigning world champion in the distance with hurdles, recorded the best time of the series, 49”79.
Later, the reigning 800m world champion Athing Mu cut six seconds from her best performance in the 1,500m to advance to the semi-finals in 4 min 10 sec 33/100th, the sixth time in the series. Her post-race recovery will decide her participation in the rest of the competition over the distance, she said.
