Athletics

Coscoran qualifies for 1500 semi-final as Kerley wins 100m in US sweep at World Championships

Kerley clocked 9.86 seconds in Eugene, Oregon to add to the 100m Olympic silver he won in Tokyo last year

Ireland’s Andrew Coscoran running in the heats of the Men’s 1500m. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho
Ireland’s Andrew Coscoran running in the heats of the Men’s 1500m. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho
Sun Jul 17 2022 - 14:58

Andrew Coscoran has qualified for the 1500m semi-final at the World Athletics Championships after a third-place finish in his heat in Eugene, Oregon.

The Balbriggan man ran a season’s best time of 3:36.36, which was just 0.7 seconds outside his personal best. He will return to the track for the first semi-final heat at 3am Irish time on Monday.

Meanwhile, Fred Kerley was crowned 100m world champion as the USA secured a clean sweep in Eugene, Oregon.

Favourite Kerley finished ahead of team-mates Marvin Bracy and Trayvon Bromell at Hayward Field on Saturday night.

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He clocked 9.86 seconds at the World Championships to add to the 100m Olympic silver he won in Tokyo last year.

It came after Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes crashed out in the semi-final after stumbling in his heat and only running 10.13 seconds.

He said: “It was a misstep that cost me the race. I couldn’t do anything about it. I tried my best to get back into it but the gap was just a little too much to close.

“When it happened I just tried to stay relaxed and rely on my top end speed and I know I can close the field because I am one of the fastest finishers out there. It’s just that those guys are stupid fast out of the blocks so they had a little bit of a jump ahead of me. I’d have caught them.

“It’s very difficult to go through but the Lord gives the toughest battles for the strongest soldiers and I believe I am one of the strongest soldiers and will come through the fight with my head up.”

Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs had already pulled out ahead of the semi-final saying he did not want to risk further injury.

The Italian ran 10.04 seconds on Friday but looked to be having difficulties in his heat.

Dina Asher-Smith stormed to victory in her 100m heat in 10.84 seconds — just one hundredth of a second off her British record — to qualify fastest for Sunday’s semi-final.

The defending 200m world champion who also won 100m silver three years ago said: “What I needed to do was qualify and win my heat. I’m coming here as a reigning world champion and a world silver medallist so the aspirations are high for me.

“I knew I’d been waiting all season to peak for this. I’ve got some more to give, but I’m happy that I nailed all the essential bits.

“I thought I set it up well. All these ladies are very, very quick, and there are some very talented up and comers, so that’s what you really have to watch in the heats because those are the girls who have got absolutely nothing to lose.”

Daryll Neita clocked a season’s best of 10.95 seconds to finish behind double Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and reach the semi-final.

Imani Lansiquot did not progress after coming fourth in 11.24 seconds in her race.