By Mitch Phillips
TOKYO (Reuters) -Noah Lyles began his bid for a fourth successive world 200 metres title in relaxed fashion on Wednesday when he cruised through his heat in 19.99 seconds.
However, fellow Americans Kenny Bednarek and Courtney Lindsey, and Botswana’s Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo posted reminders that he will have to earn that medal.
Lyles, who got bronze in the 100 metres as Jamaican Oblique Seville took his title, looked relaxed before, during and after his heat.
“The body is feeling good and definitely waking up,” he said. “The goal here was to blast through the first 100m and I got that done.
“I knew I had the race under control and decided not to push too much because I still have two more runs. When I get to the final I don’t know. I guess we will have to see.”
BEDNAREK DESPERATE FOR 200M MEDAL
Bednarek, whose 19.67 is second only to Lyles’s 19.63 on the year’s rankings, is desperate to medal in the 200 after finishing fourth in the 100 and taking 200m silvers twice at the Olympics and in the 2022 world championships.
He ran a superb bend on Wednesday and cruised the last 50 metres to clock 19.98, while Lindsey also looked impressive in 19.95.
“I ran the bend well, got the lead,” he said. “I’m confident, I’m in really good shape.
“I don’t do much trash talking but it’s definitely intense in the 200m, that’s all I am going to say about it – it’s a dog fight out there.
“The medal is not going to be given to me. I have to work for it. I know I have it in me. This is the best I have ever felt. In the 100m, I had two little hiccups which put me out of contention. But I am ready for the 200m now.”
Tebogo, who was disqualified for a false start in the 100m this week, dealt comfortably with his lane nine draw to win the final heat in 20.18.
Australia’s 17-year-old sensation Gout Gout, appearing in his first major championship, had a shocking start in his heat and was swallowed up by Jamaican Bryan Levell within 20 metres.
Once into the straight, however, Gout unwound his long legs to finish third in 20.23 and go through. Levell, the third-fastest in the field this year with 19.69 to his name, looked superb in clocking 19.84 – the fastest time of the night.
Usain Bolt was again in the house to cheer home his compatriot, who is behind only the 19.19 seconds world record holder and Yohan Blake (19.26) on the Jamaican all-time list.
Local favourite Towa Uzawa also progressed from that heat after leading for the first 100 metres and raising a terrific roar from another healthy crowd on a sweltering night.
However, American Robert Gregory, a real medal hope after posting 19.80 this season, paid the ultimate price for easing up too much as he was overtaken by two rivals on the line and finished fifth, failing to progress by six thousandths of a second.
The semi-finals are on Thursday with the final on Friday.
(Reporting by Mitch Phillips, editing by Ed Osmond)
Comments