US crowns new sprint queen; no joy for Semenya

EUGENE • Sha'Carri Richardson's coronation is complete.

Billed as American athletics' next star, the 1.55m dynamo did not disappoint, torching the 100-metre final in 10.87 seconds with her trademark flourish at the United States Olympic trials, raising her arms to the sky and letting out a cheer in front of an elated crowd as she booked her ticket to Tokyo.

"I'm highly blessed and grateful," said Richardson, 21, who told a television reporter that she learnt last week that her biological mother had died.

"Nobody but them and my coach know what I go through on a day-to-day basis," she said of her family, moments after she had embraced her grandmother in the stands.

Richardson, who posted a 10.64 in the semi-finals earlier in the day, leads a trio of first-time Olympians in the event, with 26-year-old Javianne Oliver and Teahna Daniels, 24, joining her on Team USA, as the Stars and Stripes aim to earn their first gold in the event in more than two decades.

Veterans also had a chance to shine at the newly renovated Hayward Field on Saturday, as Allyson Felix, 35, who has won nine Olympic medals, continued on her path to Tokyo after finishing second in the 400m semi-final in 51.01 in front of a roaring crowd.

She said: "I have a lot of experience but I've had to fight for this opportunity, not take it for granted."

On the men's side, the first heats of the 100m proved as competitive as expected. Noah Lyles kept his hopes of a triple in Tokyo alive, advancing to the semi-finals in the 100m with a 9.95 performance, his first sub-10 second run in the event this year, while world leader Trayvon Bromell put up the top time with a blistering, wind-assisted 9.84sec sprint.

"Everything is in prep for the 200m. I'm taking it round by round, day by day," said Lyles, the world champion in that event.

"I'm not going to say 'survive and advance' because I just want to execute every race as best as I can."

Justin Gatlin, 39, got his bid for a fourth Games and a sixth Olympic medal off to a roaring start, booking his spot in the semi-finals with a 9.93, tying with Fred Kerley for the third-best run of the night.

In the discus, favourite Valarie Allman punched her ticket to Tokyo with a top performance of 69.92m, followed by Micaela Hazlewood and Rachel Dincoff.

Elsewhere, South African athlete Caster Semenya missed out again on qualifying for the 5,000m in Regensburg, Germany.

The 30-year-old, who is barred from defending her Olympic 800m title, finished fourth in Saturday's race in a time of 15min 57.12sec, more than 47 seconds outside the 15:10 required to compete in Tokyo.

Olympic champion and world record holder Wayde van Niekerk, meanwhile, achieved the 400m qualifying standard at a meet in Madrid. The 28-year-old finished in a time of 44.56sec, inside the required standard of 44.90sec.

REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE