Lyles and Richardson smoothly advanced through the opening heats of the 100m at the US championships
Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson advanced smoothly into the men’s and women’s 100-meter semifinals at the U.S. championships on Thursday, as the competition showcased some prominent athletes at Icahn Stadium, even during a relatively quieter athletics season.
Lyles, the Olympic champion, easily won his heat with a time of 9.97 seconds, finishing second overall for the day, just behind Christian Coleman (9.96), as he aims for the sprint double in New York. He will participate in the semi-final on Friday. “It felt like a solid warm-up. I could use about three more of those,” said Lyles, who was eager for additional competition after unexpectedly finishing second to compatriot Trayvon Bromell at last month’s Paris Diamond League. “I came back from Europe right as July started. I’m unable to schedule another meet after this one until mid-August. And I would rather not wait that long to run again.
A year without the Olympics and world championships diminished the motivation for Americans to attend their national meet, which acts as a qualifying event for the two major global competitions.
This remains a significant event for us, akin to bragging rights,” stated Kenny Bednarek (10.04), the two-time Olympic silver medalist in the 200 meters and a constant competitor of Lyles, who also progressed.
Richardson had a more favorable route to the top of the podium in her signature event, as world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden concentrated solely on the 200m. Richardson completed the day with a time of 10.90, finishing 0.08 seconds ahead of anyone else.
Nikki Hiltz, who identifies as nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, secured victory in their women’s 1,500m heat with a time of 4:04.54, just three weeks after overtaking world record holder Faith Kipyegon to triumph in the mile at the Prefontaine Classic in a remarkable performance.
If anything, it simply demonstrated to me that dragons can be defeated regularly in this sport,” stated Hiltz. Nothing is guaranteed regardless of your past actions.
Vincent Ciattei recorded the fastest overall time on the men’s side, clocking in at 3:41.30. The finals for the men’s and women’s 1,500m events are scheduled for Saturday.
Woody Kincaid delivered a remarkable performance on opening day, surpassing Olympic bronze medalist Grant Fisher (30:14.46) in an exhilarating sprint finish to claim victory in the men’s 10,000m with a time of 30:13.66. He seized the lead at the final turn with an impressive kick. “I came in here thinking, It’s not going to be handed to me, but I believe I can still win this. “And with 200 meters to go, I’ve come too far, and I’ve got to just lay it down now,” said Kincaid.
Sydney Vaught surged ahead with 800 meters remaining to claim victory in the women’s 10,000 m, finishing with a time of 33:30.60, over six seconds ahead of her competitors.
The U.S. outdoor championships are set to continue on Friday.
