SAO PAULO, Brazil (July 28) — Issam Asinga clocked a time of 10.03 seconds, overcoming a slight -0.6 m/s headwind and set a new championships record on his way to winning his 100-meter semifinal race at the 2023 South American Athletics Outdoor Championships on Friday (28).
Read More: Issam Asinga runs 9.89secs, sets World U20 record at South American Athletics Outdoor Championships
Asinga, with the fastest time of the day, smoothly advanced into the final, setting his sights on his first senior international championships title representing Suriname. He also broke the 10.06 secs previous South American Athletics Outdoor Championships record, set by Brazil’s André Domingos da Silva in 1999.
The 18-year-old sprint sensation got off to a solid start and kept pace with the field.- Read more: How to watch Issam Asinga at the 2023 South American Athletics Championships?
However, it was in the latter part of the race that Asinga truly showcased his prowess, distancing himself from the competitors to cross the finish line just .01 seconds shy of his wind-legal personal best of 10.02 seconds.
Trailing Asinga was Brazil’s Paulo Andre Camilo de Oliveira, who finished close to his personal best, clocking 10.06 seconds to secure second place in the second semifinal heat.
Other athletes advancing to the final from the second semifinal included Ronal Longa Mosquera of Colombia, who ran 10.18 seconds, Katriel Aldair Angulo Mendez of Ecuador at 10.38 seconds, and David Alejandro Vivas Larrua of Venezuela at 10.40 seconds.
Meanwhile, the first semi-final heat saw Brazil’s Erik Felipe Barbosa Cardoso outperform his rivals, clocking a relaxed 10.08 seconds to claim first place.
Panama’s Alonso Edward finished strong, securing second place with a time of 10.24 seconds, and also advanced to the final. He was joined by third-place finisher Neiker Jesus Abello Sanchez of Colombia, who clocked 10.40 seconds.
Given his performance in the semifinals, Issam Asinga, who has posted wind-aided times of 9.86 (w+4.1), 9.83 (+2.6), 9.89 (+3.2), and 9.83 (+2.6), is expected to be a strong contender for the gold medal. However, his Brazilian rivals are likely to challenge this prediction.
The men’s 100m final at the 2023 South American Athletics Outdoor Championships is scheduled to take place later on Friday.
Semi-Final 1:
| Atleta/Athlete | País/Country | Reaç | Tempo/Mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erik Felipe Barbosa Cardoso | BRA | 0.178 | 10.08 |
| Alonso Edward | PAN | 0.192 | 10.24 |
| Neiker Jesus Abello Sanchez | COL | 0.180 | 10.40(394) |
| Florio Franco | ARG | 0.190 | 10.40(396) |
| Alexis Jose Nieves Chaparro | VEN | 0.199 | 10.42 |
| Aron Earl | PER | 0.203 | 10.45 |
| Gustavo Alejandro Mongelós | PAR | 0.188 | 10.62 |
| Huisden D | SUR | 0.240 | 11.02 |
Semi-Final 2:
| Atleta/Athlete | País/Country | Reaç | Tempo/Mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asinga Issamade | SUR | 0.184 | 10.03 |
| Paulo Andre Camilo de Oliveira | BRA | 0.166 | 10.07 |
| Ronal Longa Mosquera | COL | 0.176 | 10.18 |
| Katriel Aldair Angulo Mendez | ECU | 0.182 | 10.38 |
| David Alejandro Vivas Larrua | VEN | 0.182 | 10.40(391) |
| Fredy Abel Maidana Pedrozo | PAR | 0.171 | 10.57 |
| Alexander Salazar | PAN | 0.167 | 10.62 |
| Steeven Marcelo Salas Lopez | ECU | 0.206 | 10.64 |
