Key events
Lyles still wins, though, in 9.92, Ajayi of Nigeria next in 9.93 with Simbine third in 9.96. I don’t see a super-fast time in him.
He’s away with Blake, but Simbine is alongside, and I don’t think he’s got the gas to tear away!
Lyles steps over the line, leaps, making territory. What does he have for us?
Back on the track, Noah Lyles is ready for his semi, Jeremiah Azu of GB in lane eight. I’m expecting theatre from the champ, but is it misdirection? Is he in good enough shape to win here? My sense is not, especially if the winning time is quick, but he’s noising up the crowd; either side of him, Blake of Jamaica and Simbine of RSA will bring the pressure.
Terrible news, I’m afraid: Ricky Hatton has been found dead at his home
We’ll have more on-site in due course, but that is just the worst. Strength and comfort to his friends and family.
Also going on:
The final is coming up at 2.13pm BST. Watching the first semi again, Richardson’s start was poor, but on the other hand, she recovered really well to get anywhere near making the final. Her last-60m pace from earlier, and she’s in the conversation.
Jefferson-Wooden wins in 10-73; Clayton of Jamaica is second and moves through, with Asher-Smith third in 11.02; I think that’s good enough, just. Richardson is into the final, but will have to do a lot, lot better to contest the medals never mind the gold.
Jefferson-Wooden doesn’t start that well but she powers through from 40m!
Talking of whom, Jefferson-Wooden goes in the final semi, likewise Dina Asher-Smith. Richardson sits literally on the edge of her seat, hoping she’s done enough.
In comms, they note that the times aren’t that quick; perhaps it’s the track, perhaps the humidity, or perhaps the runners just aren’t in that good shape for one reason or another. The final will give us a good sense of things, because Alfred and Jefferson-Wooden look ready to push each other.
Yup, 10.93 for Alfred, easing up; Fraser-Pryce also qualifies, hitting that same 11.00 time as Richardson, and she started best, but Alfred is so, so strong.
Alfred starts well enough, and she’s going to win by miles…
Back to the women’s 100m, with Julien Alfred going in lane four. I can’t see anyone other than Jefferson-Wooden beating her, but otherwise, we won’t have many more chances to watch the 38-year-old Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce at a major championships, so let’s enjoy her too, while we still can.
Valarie Allman wins gold for USA in women’s discus
Jorinde van Klinken of the Netherlands takes silver and Silinda Moráles of Cuba the bronze. Allman is a helluva an athlete , this is her first world title, but she’s also got Olympics golds, so.
Yup, Talou-Smith wins in 10.94, Jackson second; Richardson is third in a season’s best of 11.00, so she must wait to see if she’s one of two fastest losers. Real talk: I don’t think it’s going to matter, she’s miles off the form necessary to win a medal. But having said that, we see she stumbled at the start, meaning 11 dead isn’t a terrible time , especially given, as we’re reminded, she won gold in Budapest having qualified as fastest loser. So she waits…
Talou-Smith leads, Jackson folliowing …
Gosh, the nerves now; my blood is pumping and I’m sat on my seat.
Nope, various others moved early too, so though she set them off, it’s a green card and back to business.
Aaarrgghhh! They’re left on set, Richardson twitches, and will they DQ her for that?
Richardson, of course, has had a tricky time, after being arrested for assaulting Christian Coleman, her partner, at Seattle Airport. She’s since apologised and agreed to get professional help, but it’s a lot to carry around. They’re ready…
Heat one of the women’s semis looks pretty open to me. I fancy Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith, who I think might snatch a medal; Sha’Carri should also qualify, but this’ll give us a much better sense of where she’s at. For GB, Daryll Neita, a proper a stalwart of UK athletics, goes in lane five, between the two.
Meantime, we see footage of Noah Lyles winding up Kishane Thompson on the warm-up track. I don’t know, I reckon that at 24, Thompson is mature enough to cope, and in the better shape; he’ll know that, and he’ll know Lyles knows that too.
Coming up seven minutes from now: the semi-finals of the women’s 100m.
I know I’ve little to go on, but I can’t help but fancy McLaughlin-Levrone because superstars just find a way. That hurdling strength should give her a little bit more in the final 20m, and she always looks like she’s working a little less hard than everyone else.
John and Ohuruogo, both of GB, qualify for the semis as fastest losers, likewise Mawdsley of Ireland. We should have a belting contest for gold in this event, between Paulino, Naser, and the relative unknown of McLaughlin-Levrone; I can’t wait to see how it goes because we can be almost certain they’ll be powering down the home straight together.
Paulino looks strong through the first 200m, in front as the stagger unwinds, Anning in second and hanging on well. They’re joined in the next round by Hamida of Egypt.
Marlieidy Paulino, Dominican Republic’s Olympic champ, goes in the final heat; so does Amber Anning of GB, the world indoor champ. Off they go…
I said, by the way, that Koch’s 400m time is one of the oldest records in the book; the oldest is Jarmila Kratochvilova’s of Czechia’s 800m mark of 1:53.28, set in 1983, and to it the same rules apply.
Stacey Ann Williams of Jamaica flies out of the blocks in heat five of the women’s 400m, but Naser of Bahrain, silver medallist at the Olympics and a contender here, comes past her to win in a not-to-be messed-with 49.13, Mikolos of Romania third with Ohuruogo of GB fourth.
Men’s high jump qualifying is in progress; wee see Hamish Kerr, New Zealand’s Olympic champion, nail 2.21, but Sangyeok Woo of South Korea will have a say when things get serious.
Back with the discus, Morales, also of Puerto Rico, flings her way into the bronze-medal position; her coach loves it and she’s set for the final three throws.
The women’s 400m record, by the way, is one of the longest-standing in the books , Marita Koch’s time of 47.63 was set in 1985. There may or may not be a reason for that , we know that East Germany doped their athletes, but we also know Koch never failed a test. For context, McLauglin-Levrone’s PB is 48.74. Heat four, meantime, is won by pryce of Jamaica with Jaeger of Norway and Gomez of Puerto Rico also qualifying. John of GB finished fifth.
Back to the discus final, Tausaga of USA, the reigning champ, slings down a much better effort of 65.49 that takes her third; she’ll be in the final 10.
Ooh yeah, no arrows necessary here! McLaughlin-Levrone hits the home straight alone, poised in splendid isolation, and wins in 49.41, making it look easy; Weil of Chile and Oketch of Kenya also qualify.
Sydney oozes away beautifully, running right on the inside of her lane, and she’s miles ahead, I think , no arrows this time.
It’s Sydney time! I can’t wait to see how she goes , she’s a proper threat for a medal, though we can’t be sure she’s quite ready for gold. With her talent and drive, anything is possible.
We’re now able to see who’s where before the stagger unwinds, numbers above the heads of the runners indicating their places; that’s great, but there’s also something cool about guessing, then seeing how it looks coming off the curve. Venlogh of Hait wins heat two in 49.91, from Bokuwiecka of Poland and Butler of USA.
Back to the discus final, Tausaga can’t get herself going; we’re advised that she’s either very good or very poor, and she’s in danger of elimination, the bottom two kicked out after three goes. Allman still leads from Van Klinken.
Also going on:
Klaver of the Netherlands takes the first heat in 50.32; Whittaker of USA also qualifies, along with Oakley of Jamaica.
Next to the women’s 400m, and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in particular , the double Olympic 400m hurdles champ is now taking on the flat race, as she pursues history. She’s also after Sanya Richards-Ross’ US record; how good will it be if she follows her into Real Housewives immortality too?
I guess what I’m saying is the way he tied up in the home straight, it’s hard to believe he can improve enough to challenge Jacory Patterson, who looked in phenomenal shape to record 43.90 barely seeming to struggle. And, as I type, Greg Rutherford , in the BBC studio , wonders if his season has been well structured, given he started early but has run rarely, and there’s also a suggestion that he might’ve come to Japan a little earlier to acclimatise to the heat.
McRae moves nicely around the curve, goes again in the home straight, and he wins in 44.25; Eppie of Botswana is second, with James third. Hudson-Smith and Reardon both qualify as fastest losers, but the former needs to get a lot, lot better to challenge for anything.
Righto, time for the final heat of the men’s 40om. Kirani James, champion at London 2012, goes, and though he’s a way past his best, it’s always great to see him. The favourite here is Khaleb McRae of USA, and he’s out like a brute…
Interesting: Van Klinken of Holland hurls one out a fair way … but she’s 13cm behind.
In the field, the women’s discuss final is ready to get going. Can anyone stop USA’s Valarie Allman, the double Olympic champion? Well, she didn’t win in Budapest, Laulauga Tausaga did, but she’ll have to improve significantly on what we’ve seen this season … and Allman is celebrating already, happy with her 67.63 opening effort.
