Sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, overcoming the emotion of personal drama, qualified on Saturday for the Tokyo Olympics where she will be one of the attractions and the great hope of a gold medal for the United States in the 100m. The 21-year-old, as expected, won the final of the event at the American selections. She swallowed the straight line on the Hayward Field track in Eugene, Oregon, in 10”86.
What was more unexpected was the revelation she made moments later, saying she learned of her birth mother’s passing days ago. So, it was with great emotion that she went to the stands to embrace her grandmother and other members of her family after her victory. “This year has been crazy for me. But I’m still here. I learned last week that my birth mother had passed away. I chose to pursue my dreams, to come here and to make proud the family that I have on this earth ”, she said.
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If she won well ahead of Javianne Oliver (10”99) and Teahna Daniels (11”03), Richardson ran slower than in his thunderous race in April in 10”72, having made she the sixth fastest woman in the world. In the semi-finals, earlier in the day, she had done much better (10”64), but with too favorable a wind.
Allyson Felix on time
Her ticket to Tokyo in her pocket, she knows that she will nevertheless have to work again to reach Olympic gold because her announced rival, Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, crowned in Rio in 2016, has done stronger than she this year with a stopwatch at 10”63, at the beginning of June in Kingston.
In the women’s 400m, Allyson Felix finished second in her semi-final in a time of 51:01. Felix, the only female track athlete to win six Olympic gold medals, is aiming for a fifth consecutive Olympics before retiring. “I feel that I am in a good position for the final on Sunday”, said the 35-year-old athlete. World record holder Keni Harrison qualified for the 100m hurdles semi-finals with the fastest time in the heats (12.49).
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On the men’s side, Trayvon Bromell, who has established himself for several weeks as one of the favorites for the Olympic 100 meters, easily won his first series in 9”84. The author of the best world performance of the year, with a time of 9.77 seconds in Florida in early June, did not force his race, releasing his effort early enough before the line, on the track at Hayward Field. from Eugene.
Bromell to the faith
The 25-year-old sprinter has since been considered one of the candidates for the gold medal on the straight line at the Olympics (23 July – 8 August), he who was not spared from serious injuries between 2016 and 2019 (Achilles tendon, knee, thigh). “I really believe in it, he assured about his chances. The doctors told me I could never run again. All I had was my faith. ” He will first have to confirm in the semi-finals and then in the final on Sunday, to first obtain his visa for Tokyo.
A goal also largely achievable for the veteran Justin Gatlin, gold medalist in the 100m at the Athens 2004 Games and who is trying to participate in a fourth Olympiad. The 39-year-old was second behind Bromell in 9”93. “Some days in training, I feel I’m 39 years old, but I’m living for this moment”, he confided.
The 200m world champion Noah Lyles, who is aiming for a double over 100-200m in Tokyo, was less convincing in his series, of which he placed third in 9”95, behind Ronnie Baker (9 ‘ ’88) and Fred Kerley (9”93). “I wanted not to make a false start. I felt a little rusty. I take things as they go, day after day “, reacted Lyles.
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