It is the usual suspects in the men’s 100m heats. The blue riband event would see both reigning champion Justin Gaitlin and former champion Yohan Blake making it through to the next round.
But it was favourite Christian Coleman, who shined with the only sub 10s race in the heats. The American clocked 9.98 as he won the last Heats of the day well ahead of Italian Lamont Marcell Jacobs (10.07) and Japan’s Abdul Hakim Sani Brown (10.09).
The biggest shock was the absence of Nigerian Divine Oduduru. The second fastest men in the distance this season did not make the starting block.
Coleman arrived in Doha as the world’s fastest man and is certainly showing his intentions to keep it that way.
The 23-year-old has had an impressive 2019, notching 9.86, 9.85 and 9.81 performances in three successive early season races before taking the US title in 9.99 in late July. His only loss was by a whisker to Noah Lyles in his debut in Shanghai. He lost the race by 0.006. Lyles, who is not taking part in the 100m in Doha, was timed at 9.858 in that race.
The twice-convicted drugs cheat Justin Gatlin was already courting controversy before the start of the event as he was seen working with his disgraced former sprint coach Dennis Mitchell. Gaitlin had sacked Mitchell after a newspaper sting in which the coach had allegedly offered to acquire banned drugs for an athlete. That the two are working together again comes as a shock to many.
Gaitlin won Heat 2 in a time of 10.13 ahead of Canadian Andre De Grasse (10.13) and Briton Adam Gemili (10.19).
Gemili’s teammate Zarnel Hughes was timed at 10.08 as he won Heat 3. The European champion, looking to shrug off a recent dip in form finished in front of Nigerian Raymond Ekevwo (10.19) and Liberian Emmanuel Matadi (10.19) in Heat 4.
In the absence of Oduduru, Brazilian Paulo Andre Camilo De Oliveira won Heat 5 in a time of 10.11. He finished ahead of American Michael Rodgers (10.14) and Italian Filippi Tortu (10.20).
Yohan Blake, like Gaitlin is looking to turn back the clock. He won his heat in a time of 10.07, just pipping Frenchman Jimmy Vicaut. (10.08)
South African Akani Simbine, the reigning African champion, won his Heat 1 in a time of 10.01, comfortably ahead of Canadian Aaron Brown (10.16) and China’s Xie Zhenye (10.19).
Juan’s the one
In the men’s long jump qualifying, world indoor champion Juan Miguel Echevarria was the only athlete to qualify for the finals by bettering the qualifying mark of 8.15m. The Diamond League champion jumped a distance of 8.40m in his very first attempt. It was the longest jump in qualifying since 2009.
With a personal best of 8.68m and a seasons best of 8.65m, the Cuban looks set to jump away the gold. In March this year the 21-year-old managed a remarkable 8.92m but with a tailwind of +3.3.
All signs points to the youngster to become the first Cuban world long jump champion since four-time gold medalist Ivan Pedroso reigned supreme from 1995-2001
All the other 11 qualifiers failed to breach the qualifying mark with American Jeff Henderson coming closest with a 8.12m in his final attempt. Henderson, the reigning Olympic gold medalist season’s best is only 8.38m, a mark that his younger rival has already surpassed in the qualifying.
Defending champion Luvo Manyonga of South Africa only managed a best of 7.91m to qualify tenth from the field of 26.
Ajee not the fastest
Favourite Ajee Williams did just enough to qualify for the semi-finals of the women’s 800m semi-finals. The American eased to victory in Heat 1 in a time of 2:02.10. It only puts her as the 10th fastest qualifier but is still expected to be runner to watch in the later stages.
The 25-year-old Wilson is the fastest woman in the field with a best of 1:57.72 and has two of the season’s four fastest performances to her credit.
The fastest semi-finals qualifier is Ugandan Winnie Nanyondo, who clocked 1:58.83 in Monaco this year. She also holds Uganda’s national 1500m record with a 3:59.56 time.
Jamaican champion Natoya Goule, who won the Pan-American Games title, is the second fastest qualifier in a time of 2:01.0.
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