Lyles eases into final of 200m despite golf buggy collision

Newly-crowned world 100m champion Noah Lyles kept his quest for a first sprint double since 2015 on track on Thursday despite being involved in a golf buggy crash en route to the track that left Jamaican Andrew Hudson with glass in his eye.
Lyles, Hudson and the six other sprinters in their 200m semi-final were travelling by buggy from the adjoining training ground to the stadium when a second buggy crashed into theirs. “I feel like it all happened in slow motion,” Hudson said of the collision.
“I was in the buggy coming to the stadium and unfortunately I was sitting on the side where another buggy crashed into us. I was directly impacted when a bunch of glass went into my eye. They got most of the glass out. Now I’ve got to go back and have it looked at, make sure it’s OK. My eye is pretty blurry right now.”
Hudson was handed a spot in the final of the 200m despite finishing the semi out of the running for the top eight in 20.38 seconds. The track has nine lanes so can accommodate an extra athlete. “I made a decision to run but it wasn’t ideal, for sure. It is my first world championships so it’s going to be memorable,” Hudson said.
The incident saw the running order of the three semi-finals rejigged, with Lyles’ opening semi pushed to third on the night.
When Lyles eventually got to the starting blocks, he made no mistake in qualifying for Friday’s final in an impressive 19.76sec, with Alexander Ogando of the Dominican Republic in second.
Lyles, in his quest to become the first male athlete to win a world sprint double since Usain Bolt in 2015, is the two-time defending world champion over 200m and has said he wants to target Usain Bolt’s world record of 19.19sec set back in 2009 at the Berlin world championships.
“I’m pretty sure I’ll get close to it,” Lyles said of Bolt’s record. “I’m very confident in what we did. Today I ran 19.7 and wasn’t even really trying. I’m very confident in my ability. My body’s been repairing itself day by day, and I actually feel better than I did going into the 100.”
The American will be accompanied into the semis by the two other medallists in the 100m, Letsile Tebogo of Botswana and Britain’s Zharnel Hughes. Lyles is part of a strong US quartet that includes world and Olympic silver medallist Kenny Bednarek, and 19-year-old Erriyon Knighton, who won world bronze in Eugene last year. Bednarek and Knighton won the two other semi-finals in 19.96 and 19.98sec ahead of Tebogo and Hughes respectively. The two fastest runners-up progressing into the final are Canada’s Olympic champion Andre de Grasse and Liberia’s Joseph Fahnbulleh.
Jackson sends message to double seeking
Richardson in 200m
Defending 200m world champion Shericka Jackson sent a message to 100m gold medallist Sha’Carri Richardson she will not give her crown up lightly, easing home in front of her in their semi-final. Jackson, silver medallist in Monday’s 100m final, timed 22.00sec with Richardson having to battle to edge Ivorian veteran Marie-Josee Ta Lou for the second automatic qualifying spot.
Richardson clocked 22.20sec whilst 2017 world silver medallist Ta Lou went through as one of the two fastest losers for Friday’s final. Richardson, bidding to become only the fourth woman to do the sprint double, may not even be the USA’s favourite for the final. Olympic bronze medallist Gabby Thomas posted the fastest time of the three semi-finals of 21.97sec. The 26-year-old, who beat Richardson in the US trials, came off the bend behind Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith, but cruised past her to cross the line in 21.97sec. The 2019 champion Asher-Smith, disappointed by her performance in the 100m final, took the second automatic qualifying spot after clocking 22.28sec.
Julien Alfred produced an assured performance for someone so inexperienced at the top level. The 22-year-od St Lucia sprinter – fifth in the 100m – made her way past three of her rivals to win her semi-final in 22.17sec.
Asher-Smith’s teammate Daryll Neita also progressed. Anthonique Strachan of the Bahamas fills out the final spot as the second of the two fastest runners-up.