Fred Kerley became the sprinter of the year, in close definition with his compatriots Trayvon Bromell and Marvin Bracy. Photo Jewel Samad / AFP
Fred Kerley He honored his status as a favorite and won the iconic 100m competition of the World Athletics Championships, which was held for the first time in his country, the United States. In a historic performance, the Texan athlete was escorted to the podium by two compatriots, Marvin Bracy Y Trayvon Brommell, something that hasn’t happened since 1991.
Kerley, silver at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, took the first major victory of his career in the 100 meters with a time of 9.86 seconds, thanks to a fundamental inclination of the body just before crossing the finish line.
His victory, and the podium occupied entirely by the national teams, accentuated the joy of the American fans at Hayward Field in Eugene, in the state of Oregon, which did not sell out.
That didn’t stop fans from celebrating their athletes’ brilliant production, which emulated that achieved just over three decades ago by Carl Lewis, Leroy Burrell and Dennis Mitchell in Japan, with chants of “USA, USA”.
“We said we were going to do it and we did it!” Kerley exclaimed with the microphone on the floor, full of emotion. At 27, the imposing 1.93m tall athlete completed his extraordinary 400m to 100m step.
The Texan athlete won the bronze in Doha 2019 in the 400 meters and then began to dominate the 100 meters, a discipline without a monarch since Usain Bolt’s retirement.
At the Tokyo Games he was already close to the top with a silver medal and throughout the year he amassed successes that predicted him as the favorite for the World Cup, including a fabulous 9.76 score in June.
Fred Kerley had just won the silver medal at Tokyo 2020. Now, in front of his people, he has hung up the gold. Photo by AP / Charlie Riedel
Marvin Bracy took silver with 9.88 and Trayvon Bromell took bronze at the same time. Christian Coleman, American fourth in the final, failed to defend the title won at the last Doha-2019 World Cup and finished in sixth position with 10.01, behind the Jamaican Oblique Seville and the South African Akani Simbine.
The surprise withdrawal of Marcel Jacobs
The Italian Marcell Jacobs, surprising champion in Tokyo 2020, withdrew at the last minute from the semifinals for alleged physical problems in a thigh, as announced by the federation of his country shortly before the test.
“Athlete Marcell Jacobs, during yesterday’s 100m series (Friday), heard a contracture of the adductor magnus of the right thigh“, the doctor of the Italian federation explained in a note.
Jacobs, second in his series on Friday with 10:04, had arrived in Eugene surrounded by doubts about his physical condition in a season in which he had not participated in any international 100m event.
With information from AP and AFP.
IS
Source: Clarin