The first of 10 days of festivities in Eugene has ended and the World Athletics Championships has already brought a lot of excitement to Oregon.
Only three sets of medals were handed out on the opening day, but it set the stage for another nine days of excitement at Hayward Field.
Some highlights from the first day of the World Athletics Championships include:
Allyson Felix leaves international competition with one more medal: The most decorated American track and field athlete ever competed as a member of Team USA’s mixed 4×400 team, placing third. She announced it would be her final competition.
Team USA sends four to men’s 100-meter dash semifinals: Fred Kerley and Trayvon Bromell were two favorites for the 100. After winning their respective qualifiers on Friday, the duo are looking strong headed to the semifinals.
Former-Duck Jessica Hull looks strong in prelims: Competing at her alma mater, the Australian wore green and yellow again as she cruised through her women’s 1,500 meter semifinal race. Also in the field is American Sinclaire Johnson, who finished fourth in her heat to qualify for the semifinals.
Former Barlow High School star Ryan Crouser leads shot put qualifiers: No stranger to competing in Hayward Field, the Gresham native easily qualified for the finals with a throw of 73 feet, 1¼ inches.
20k race walks award the first medals: Peru’s Kimberly García León won the women’s race, grabbing the first medal of the 2022 Worlds and the first gold medal for her country in senior competition. Japan’s Toshikazu Yamanishi won the men’s race, successfully defending his world title from 2019.
Other highlights from the first day:
American Daniel Haugh finished first in his qualifying group for the men’s hammer throw and was second overall ahead of Saturday’s finals.
Americans JuVaughn Harrison and Shelby McEwen are headed to the men’s and women’s high jump finals, respectively, after both tying for the best mark in the qualifying rounds.
The top two qualifying spots for the women’s hammer throw went to Americans Janee’ Kassanavoid and Brooke Anderson, who are carrying a lot of momentum ahead of Sunday’s finals.
Evan Jager and Hillary Bor will represent the United States in the steeplechase finals after two top-three finishes.
Japan’s Yuki Hashioka finishes the qualifying round of the men’s long jump as the frontrunner, finishing with a distance of 26 feet, 10 inches.
American pole vaulters Katie Nageotte and Sandi Morris each clear 14 feet, 9 inches to qualify for Sunday’s finals.
Some things to watch on Saturday, Day 2 of the World Athletics Championships in Eugene:
Devon Allen begins medal quest: The former two-sport star for the Oregon Ducks takes the track for the heats of the men’s 110-meter hurdles. Allen, who will head to NFL training camp with the Philadelphia Eagles soon after he wraps up competition in Eugene, is in the fifth and final 110 hurdles heat of the day, which begins at 11:53 a.m. PT (TV on CNBC).
Women’s 10,000 final: Karissa Schweizer, who trains with the Portland-based Bowerman Track Club, is among a field of 20 runners who will go 25 laps around the Hayward Field track in the 10,000 final. Americans Alicia Monson and Natosha Rogers also are entered, while Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands is among the favorites. The race begins at 12:20 p.m. (TV on NBC).
American women’s shot putter goes for gold: The United States’ Chase Ealey had the 10th-best qualifying mark on Friday and looks to build on that in Saturday’s women’s shot put final. Top qualifiers include China’s Lijiao Gong and Sarah Mitton, while Americans Jessica Woodard and Maggie Ewen also are in the final. The event begins at 6:25 p.m. Saturday (TV on NBC).
Three with Oregon ties in men’s 1,500: Cooper Teare leads a trio of runners with Oregon ties who are the U.S. representatives in the men’s 1,500 meters. The others ex-Duck Johnny Gregorek and the Bowerman Track Club’s Josh Thompson. Heats begin at 6:30 p.m. (TV on NBC).
Men’s 100-meter final: Top sprinters will compete for the title of world’s fastest man. Americans Fred Kerley, Trayvon Bromell and Christian Coleman each could contend for medals. The semifinals are at 6 p.m. PT, followed by the final at 7:50 p.m. (TV on NBC).
