World leader Trayvon Bromell and multiple global championships medalist Justin Gatlin, will line up against each other in the first round of the men’s 100m on Day two at the 2021 US Olympic Trials here at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, on Saturday (19). Fred Kerley will start from heat four against Ronnie Baker.
Bromell Starts Olympic Hunt
Bromell, who enters the trials as the quickest man over the the 100m in 2021 with a time of 9.77 seconds, will begin his search for Olympic glory when he starts in heat three on Saturday. The World Indoor 60m champion from 2016 has been in great form this season and he comes in as undoubtedly the man to beat.
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Gatlin, who will start from lane one in the same heat, heads into the championships with a season’s best of 9.98s. Although the 39-year-old has not been as aggressive this term, the 2004 Olympic champion usually shows up for the big occasions, so as long as he’s healthy, Gatlin will always be a factor.
Meanwhile, all eyes will be on 400m specialist Kerley to see if his decision to step down in distance will be fruitful. The world 400m bronze medalist has opted to side-step the one lap event in favor of the 100m after some impressive performances this season, including a pair of sub-10 seconds clockings.
Kerley v Baker In Early Olympic Trials Showdown
Kerley will start in heat 4 against Ronnie Baker, a man many believe has the potential to upstage Bromell in Eugene. World 200m champion Noah Lyles is also entered in this heat.
Baker heads into the US Olympic Trials as the fifth fastest man in the world in 2021, behind four other Americans, including Kerley, but he is expected to put it all together this weekend and land one of this top three spots to Tokyo.
Another Olympic hopeful, Isiah Young will start in heat one against Kenny Bednarek and Cravon Gillespie.
Elsewhere, Georgia star Matthew Boling will start in heat 3 where he will face Kyree King, Marvin Bracy-Williams, and Jaylen Slade.
Boling, Lance Lang of Kentucky, Bryan Henderson from Sam Houston State, Purdue’s Marcellus Moore and Oregon’s Micah Williams are the NCAA standouts facing the starter today in the men’s 100m heats.
