(Reuters) – Sha’Carri Richardson will represent the United States’ best hope of keeping the women’s world 100m title out of Jamaican hands next month, while Gabby Thomas showed she will be a huge threat in the 200m as the U.S. Championships wrapped up in Eugene, Oregon on Sunday.
Breakout star Cravont Charleston joins defending champion Fred Kerley in the team for the men’s 100m as the Americans look to improve on the record 33 world championship medals they collected last year when the 2023 edition kicks off on Aug. 19.
A formidable cast of contenders booked their spots for Budapest, including Richardson, who failed to qualify in 2022 and saw a positive cannabis test end her Olympic dreams in 2021.
The fan favourite left no doubt this time that she is her country’s brightest star, producing a personal best 10.71 in the 100m semis and winning the final in 10.82.
But she will have her work cut out for her after Shericka Jackson, who took silver in a Jamaican podium sweep last year, took the world lead on Friday in a blistering 10.65 in Kingston.
Richardson will also vie for the 200m title at the world championships after finishing second on Sunday behind Gabby Thomas, who posted 21.60 to snatch back the world lead from Jackson just minutes after she had claimed it.
“Every time we step on the track we have to expect that our competitors are going to just bring it,” Thomas told reporters.
“Every time we do step on the track it’s just going to be a really fast time because it has to be – or else you’re not going to survive this event.”
Kerley has an automatic spot in the 100m as the reigning title-holder but will travel to Budapest without the two men who joined him in an American podium sweep last year, as Trayvon Bromell and Marvin Bracy both failed to advance.
Instead, Charleston took the upset victory in 9.95 with 2019 world champion Christian Coleman finishing second and Noah Lyles third.
The top three finishers in Eugene, who met certain qualifying standards, and reigning global title-holders advanced to the world championships.
Teen star Erriyon Knight predicted a repeat of the American 200m podium sweep after winning the national title in 19.72 ahead of Olympic and world silver medallist Kenny Bednarek and Courtney Lindsey.
Olympic and world 400m hurdles champion Sydney McLaughlin made her mark in a new event, winning the 400m flat in a world-leading 48.74, though she has yet to decide if she will double up in Budapest.
Bryce Deadmon, who helped the United States to Olympic gold in the 4x400m relay in Tokyo, won the men’s event.
McLaughlin’s old rival Dalilah Muhammad settled for second in the 400m hurdles behind Shamier Little.
Twice world silver medallist Rai Benjamin won the men’s 400 hurdles final and can expect to duel with world record-holder Karsten Warholm in Budapest after the Norwegian picked up a pair of Diamond League titles earlier this season.
2019 world champion Nia Ali topped the 100m hurdles field while Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Kendra Harrison finished second.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York;Editing by Peter Rutherford)
