By Mitch Phillips
EUGENE, Ore. (Reuters) – Jamaican trio Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
and Shericka Jackson advanced impressively to the women’s 100m final at the world championships on Sunday where they will seek to match the United States men in sweeping the podium.
No nation has completed a medal sweep in the women’s 100m at the worlds, though Jamaica did it at last year’s Olympics – in the form of those three athletes – and in 2008.
Jackson looked very relaxed winning the first heat in 10.84, edging Britain’s 2019 silver medallist Dina Asher-Smith, whose 10.89 was marginally slower than her heat time on Saturday.
Thompson-Herah, who clocked the second-fastest 100m of all time on the same Hayward Field track almost a year ago, was mildly sluggish in the early stages but came through as usual in 10.82, ahead of Marie-Josee Ta Lou.
Five women went under 11 seconds in that heat – two of them advancing as fast losers.
Thompson-Herah has back-to-back Olympic sprint double golds to her name but has never won an individual world gold – a silver in the 2015 200m being her best return.
Fraser-Pryce is at the opposite end of the spectrum as, at 35, she seeks a remarkable fifth 100m world gold to pack alongside her two Olympic golds in the event.
She blasted out of the blocks in the third heat and was shutting down from 70m and still posted 10.93.
American Zoe Hobbs timed her dip superbly to snatch second in 10.95, leaving Britain’s Daryll Neita wondering how 10.97 was not good enough to get her through as a fast loser.
Neita’s time was the fastest anyone has ever run in a world championships and still failed to qualify for a final.
The final is later on Sunday at 7:50 p.m. (0250 GMT)
(Reporting by Mitch Phillips, editing by Peter Rutherford)
