The men’s and women’s 200-meter races were the only medal events on Thursday, and if it weren’t for Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith mixing it up in the women’s race, all four sprints would have been sweeps for a single country. The Jamaican women won all three 100-meter medals on Day 3 and the U.S. men won gold, silver and bronze in that race on Day 2.
Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson won the 200 Thursday in a championship record 21.45. Her teammate Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was second. Defending world champion Dina Asher-Smith won bronze.
Team USA swept the men’s 200, with Noah Lyles clocking a national record 19.31. Kenny Bednarek was second in 19.77 and 19-year old Erriyon Knighton completed the trifecta in 19.80, becoming the youngest sprint medalist in World Champs history.
Competing for his home country of Italy, U of O triple jumper E.J. Ihemeje easily advanced to the final, which will be held Saturday. Raevyn Rogers won her heat to make it to the Friday semifinals in the women’s 800. And Portland’s Grant Fisher qualified for the final in the men’s 5000, which will be contested Sunday evening.
Friday's finals are the women's 35K race walk, the women's javelin, the men's and women's 400 meter race, and the women's 400-meter hurdles.