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OregonGoldRush | Dwyer, Blake through, Americans impress

Published:Monday | July 18, 2022 | 8:28 PM
Jamaica's Rasheed Dwyer (right) battles with China's Zhenye Xie (centre) for a qualification spot in the men's 200-metre semifinals during their first-round heat at the World Athletics Championships inside Hayward Field Eugene, Oregon earlier this evening.
Gladstone Taylor
Jamaica's Rasheed Dwyer (right) battles with China's Zhenye Xie (centre) for a qualification spot in the men's 200-metre semifinals during their first-round heat at the World Athletics Championships inside Hayward Field Eugene, Oregon earlier this evening.

There were places in the semi-final of the World Athletics Championships 200 metres for Jamaicans Yohan Blake and Rasheed Dwyer after the first round this evening at Hayward Field.

Unfortunately, there was no place for Akeem Bloomfield, the fastest Jamaican over the half-lap event this season with 20.22 seconds.

Bloomfield was fifth in heat three, clocking 20.56 in a race won by United States’ teenaged sensation, Erriyon Knighton.

Knighton was impressive, jogging to 20.01.

Dwyer was the better of the two Jamaican qualifiers, running a season’s best 20.29 for second in heat seven, won by the United States’ Noah Lyles in 19.98.

China’s Zhenye Xie pushed Dwyer to the line, qualifying third in 20.30 seconds.

Blake, unlike Dwyer, had to wait to know his fate after being outdipped at the line by Nigeria’s Udodi Chudi Onwuzurike, who clocked 20.34, to the Jamaican’s 20.35.

That heat produced a winning time of 20.17 seconds from 100-metre world champion Fred Kerley, who eased to victory ahead of South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile, who ran a personal best, 20.29.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richardson was also through to the semi-finals, winning his heat ahead of Canada’s Aaron Brown, 20.60, and Japan’s Shota Iizuka, 20.72.

But there was more from the Caribbean as the Dominican Republic Alexander Ogando ran a national record, 20.01, to win his heat ahead of the United States’ Kenneth Bednarek, 20.35, and Uganda’s Tarsis Gracious Orogot, 20.44.

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