Noah Lyles clocked the fastest time of 19.62 seconds to win the second semi-final and lead all the qualifiers into the final of the men’s 200m at the World Athletics Championships 2022 here at Hayward Field in Oregon, on Day 5 Tuesday night (19).
Lyles, who enters this event as the defending world champion, said he wanted to put down a marker for his competitors to think about and after watching all three semi-finals, the American might very well have done just that. Read more: Shericka Jackson cruised to 21.67 secs – Women’s 200m semi-finals results
“I am exactly where I wanted to be because I got the win,” said Lyles. “My coach told me to get out a little bit of the beast today. So I am going to let out the whole thing.”
Following Lyles home in heat two were the Olympic champion and his fellow teammate Kenny Bednarek (19.84 SB) and Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards (19.86). South Africa’s Luxolo Adams (20.09) also advanced on time.
Meanwhile, world leader Erriyon Knighton of USA took the third semi-final in 19.77 seconds. The time was flashed on the screen as a World U20 record, but that isn’t so, given that the 18-year-old has already run 19.49 seconds earlier this year to set that junior mark.
Canada’s Aaron Bown also made progress into the final after taking second place to Knighton in 20.10, while Tokyo Olympics relay gold medalist Filippo Tortu also ran the same time to set a personal best but missed out on making the medal race.
Elsewhere, Alexander Ogando who was part of the Dominican Republic gold medal team in the mixed 4x400m team on Friday’s first day, copped semi-final one with a national record of 19.91 seconds.
NCAA champion Joseph Fahnbulleh, the Olympic finalist in Tokyo last year, also dipped inside 20 seconds when clocking 19.92 to finish behind Ogando and advanced to the final as well.
World champion in the 100m, Fred Kerley, didn’t advance to the final after he slowed down midway through his semi-final heat with a cramp and finished sixth in 20.68 secs.
World Athletics Championships men’s 200m semi-final results
RESULT – HEAT 1
POS COUNTRY ATHLETE MARK DETAILS
1 DOM Alexander OGANDO 19.91 NR Q
2 LBR Joseph FAHNBULLEH 19.92 Q
3 CAN Jerome BLAKE 20.29
4 GBR Nethaneel MITCHELL-BLAKE 20.3
5 RSA Sinesipho DAMBILE 20.47
6 USA Fred KERLEY 20.68
7 JPN Shota IIZUKA 20.77
JAM Yohan BLAKE DNS
RESULT – HEAT 2
POS COUNTRY ATHLETE MARK DETAILS
1 USA Noah LYLES 19.62 Q
2 USA Kenneth BEDNAREK 19.84 SB Q
3 TTO Jereem RICHARDS 19.86 q
4 RSA Luxolo ADAMS 20.09 q
5 UGA Tarsis Gracious OROGOT 20.35
6 NGR Udodi Chudi ONWUZURIKE 20.39
7 GBR Joe FERGUSON 20.52
8 GAB Guy MAGANGA GORRA 20.65
RESULT – HEAT 3
POS COUNTRY ATHLETE MARK DETAILS
1 USA Erriyon KNIGHTON 19.77 WU20R Q
2 CAN Aaron BROWN 20.1 Q
3 ITA Filippo TORTU 20.10 PB
4 DOM Yancarlos MARTÍNEZ 20.21 SB
5 CHN Zhenye XIE 20.41
6 JPN Koki UEYAMA 20.48
7 AUS Calab LAW 20.72
8 JAM Rasheed DWYER 20.87
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images for World Athletics
