Allyson Felix advances, Sha’Carri Richardson of the 100m on Day 1 of the US Track and Field Championships

EUGENE – Dynamic but inconsistent sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson will not participate in the US 100m team for World Championships. On the opening night of the 2022 USATF Outdoor Championships, Richardson finished 5th in her heat at 11.31, well behind her best season of 10.85, and not fast enough to advance to the semifinals. Although the Dallas native is still competing in the 200, the early round elimination came as a surprise after Richardson finished 2nd at the 2022 Prefontaine Classic in May, behind two-time Olympic 100-meter champion. Elaine Thompson-Herah from Jamaica.

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21 years to the day after she entered her first US Championship, 13-time world champion Allyson Felix won her 400m heat and advanced to the semifinals. Felix spoke to On Her Turf earlier this week about her memories of those 2001 championships, where she was eliminated in the opening round of the 200m (Marion Jones won the heat then went on to win the national title, which she was later stripped). “My family found me somewhere in the stands and I cried (because) I didn’t make the final,” Felix said. “And my brother (wes) just looked at me and asked, ‘What did you think was going to happen? That you were going to beat Marion Jones? As a teenager?’” Felix will compete in the 400m semifinals on CNBC on Friday night and peacock.

Women’s 400m hurdles, Olympic champion in Tokyo and world record holder Sydney McLaughlin crossed through to the next round in 54.11. Reigning World Champion Dalilah Mohammed announced Wednesday that she had been granted a waiver from USATF that released her from competing with Eugene this weekend before retiring from the World Team. The three-time Olympic medalist suffered a hamstring injury this spring.

Mid-range superstar ading mu, who won gold in the 800m in Tokyo at age 19, also went on to compete in her event. Two-time Olympian Aye Wilson, which had a big break this indoor season by winning its first global title at the World Indoor Championships in 2022, was the fastest qualifier in 2:00.37.

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In the men’s 800m, reigning world champion Donavan Brazier won in his heat in 1:46.49, the fastest time of the round. Brazier, who has retired from the 2022 World Championships thanks to his 2019 win, revealed this week that he was dealing with bursitis in his right foot and that he would take time after the US Championships to assess his suitability for World Championships. “He wants to represent himself and represent his country to the best of his ability and if he thinks he can’t, we will knock him out,” his coach said. Piet Julian told reporters. Olympians in Tokyo Clayton Murphy, Bryce Hoppel and Isaiah Jewett also advanced to the semifinals.

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Last summer a lot of raised eyebrows at 400 m runner Fred Kerley fell in distance to contest the 100m. But he came away from Tokyo with an Olympic silver medal behind Italy’s Marcel Jacobs, and on the opening night of these championships he appeared to be back in podium-worthy form, with an easy 9.83 for the fastest time of the round, also a world leader. World Champion 2019 Christian Coleman, back in action after missing the Tokyo Olympics while suspended for whereabouts errors (missed drug tests), won his heat in 10.08.

“You’re going into a bit of a shell”, Coleman told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution of his suspension earlier this year. “For the first time in my life, this was something not to be really proud of. That part was tough. In the end, you come to terms with it and move forward and look forward to the future.”

Since he has the 2019 bye, Coleman doesn’t have to run all three rounds here in Eugene. His plans for the remainder of the 100m and 200m, which start on Saturday, are yet to be seen.

National titles were awarded in multiple field events, with Brooke Andersen winning the hammer for Janee Kassanavoid and Annette Echikunwoke, Quanesha Burks winning the long jump for Jasmine Moore and Tiffany Flynn and Andrew Evans take home this discus title, with Dallin Shuts second and Sam Mattis third. Hammer World Champion 2019 DeAnna Price will also be part of the team for Worlds by virtue of her wild card bye.

Coverage continues tomorrow with Day 2 of the meeting at 10pm ET on CNBC and Peacock.

Allyson Felix advances, Sha’Carri Richardson of the 100m on Day 1 of the US Track and Field Championships originally appeared on NBCSports.com