Which US athletes compete today, July 18, at the Oregon22 World Athletics Championships?
Following the drama of Sunday in the women’s 100m and the men’s 110m hurdles, Monday sees the 200m get underway along with plenty of field action.
Eugene bore witness to more track history on Sunday evening as Jamaica completed a 100m sweep with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson and Elaine Thompson-Herah matching the feat of the US trio of Fred Kerley, Marvin Bracy and Trayvon Bromell, who on Saturday completed a first men’s sweep at the worlds in 30 years. There was also drama in the 110m hurdles, where Olympic champion Hansle Parchment withdrew injured, US medal hope Devon Allen was disqualified, Shane Braithwaite smashed into the sixth hurdle and retired, with Grant Holloway and Trey Cunningham eventually leading a US one-two ahead of Spain’s Asier Martínez.
On Monday, the morning session opens with the women’s marathon, where home hopes lie with Emma Bates, Keira D’Amato and Sara Hall, as well as the ongoing women’s heptathlon, where the USA’s Anna Hall has positioned herself among the medals after four events behind only the formidable pair of Nafissatou Thiam and Anouk Vetter. The long jump and javelin are scheduled for the morning and the final event, the 800m, for the evening session.
200m heats a who’s who of sprint greats
After an incredible 100m series, attention will turn to the 200m on Monday evening with the men’s and women’s heats taking place. That will mean the likes of defending champion Noah Lyles, Erriyon Knighton, Olympic champion Andre De Grasse and Tokyo silver medallist Kenneth Bednarek going in the men’s competition and 100m medallists Fraser-Pryce, Jackson and Thompson-Herah lining up again in search of the sprint double, with the competition record of Dafne Schippers and Florence Griffith-Joyner’s long-standing world record potentially on the line.
Tamara Clark – who goes with Dina Asher-Smith in Heat 4 – medal prospect Abby Steiner, who clocked 21.77 at the US Championships, and Jenna Prandini will carry US hopes with them after Gabrielle Thomas was omitted due to a hamstring issue and drafted into the 4x100m team instead.
The finals of the men’s 3,000m steeplechase and the women’s 1,500m cap the evening session. Hillary Bor and Evan Jager will go for the US in the former, with Cory Ann McGee, who clocked the fifth-fastest time in the semis, and Sinclaire Johnson in the latter final for the hosts.
In the field, the high jump and triple jump finals will take place in the evening session with Olympic gold medallists Mutaz Essa Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi, who famously agreed to share victory at the Tokyo Games, both in the high jump field. The US will be represented by Olympic finalist JuVaughn Harrison and Shelby McEwen.
In the triple jump, Tori Franklin and Keturah Orji will attempt arguably the toughest ask in current track and field competition: beating Yulimar Rojas. The Venezuelan world record-holder, who is also the reigning Olympic and world champion, is seemingly untouchable and only one other athlete in the competition, Portugal’s Patricia Mamona, has ever jumped over 15m with a PB of 15.01. Rojas’ world record stands at 15.74.