Rising Jamaican star sprinter Oblique Seville finished in fourth place to miss out on a medal in the men’s 100m final on the second day of action at the 18th World Athletics Championships inside Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday.
Seville, who had won his semi-final heat in 9.90 seconds earlier, clocked 9.97 seconds which was no match for the more accomplished Americans who swept the podium places in the first World Championships on home soil.
Fred Kerley, the man who won a bronze medal in the 400m at the 2019 Doha World Championships and a silver medal in the 100m at last year’s Tokyo Olympic Games, won the blue ribbon event in 9.86 seconds, just ahead of Marvin Bracy and Trayvon Bromell, both timed in 9.88 seconds.
Earlier in the semi-finals National Champion Yohan Blake missed out on a place in the final by 0.06 seconds, having finished fourth in his heat in 10.12 seconds.
Also, Ackeem Blake clocked 10.19 seconds to finish fourth in his semi-final, won by Kerley in 10.02 seconds.
In the women’s shot put final, Danielle Thomas-Dodd threw 18.29m for 10th place behind American winner Chase Ealy with 20.29m. China’s many-time medallist Lijiao Gong was second in 20.39 and Jessica Schilder of Netherlands third with 19.77m.
And Wayne Pinnock could fare no better than 10th place in the long jump final. He parted the sand at 7.88m. China’s Jianan Wang was second with 8.82m, as Greece’s Miltiadis Tentoglou finished in third place with 8.16m.
Meanwhile, all four Jamaican ladies advanced to Sunday’s semi-finals of the 100m.
Shericka Jackson, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and Elaine Thompson-Herah all made easy progress, as first-timer Kemba Nelson finished third in her heat.
Also making progress in the 110m hurdles were Olympic Games gold medallist Hansle Parchment, Rusheed Broadbell and Orlando Bennett.
In the men’s 400m hurdles Kemar Mowatt, Jaheel Hyde and Shawn Rowe all advanced.
Lamara Distin (1.90m) and Kimberley Williamson (1.90m) advanced to the final in the women’s high jump.
Shaneika Ricketts registered 14.45m in the women’s triple jump to advance to the final on one jump. Also progressing were compatriots Ackelia Smith (14.36m) and Kimberly Williams (14.27m).
And Adelle Tracey (4:06.49 minutes) finished in eighth place and failed to advance to the final of the women’s 1500m semi-finals.
The 110m hurdles semi-finals and final will also be contested, as does the men’s discus throw, the men’s 400m hurdles semi-finals, and the men’s shot put final.
The women’s and men’s 400m heats will be on track.
