Sprint star Lyles reaches 100m semis

PARIS:

US sprint star Noah Lyles admitted underestimating the power of a one-shot Olympics as he was made to work harder than expected to advance from his 100m heat at the Paris Games on Saturday.

Lyles - who won treble sprint gold at last year's world championships in Budapest -- made a laboured start in the third heat won by British champion Louie Hinchliffe in 9.98 seconds.

Lyles, at one point fourth in the running after a slow exit from the blocks, finally came through in second in 10.04sec.

"I was kind of playing my cards close to the chest, I was trying not to blow my load in the first round," said Lyles.

"These boys said they're coming to play. I guess that's my first lesson in underestimating the power of an Olympics, when someone's on the line they say they're going to give their all or nothing.

"Now I'll give the whole deck, now you know everyone's ready to go, they're ready to blow their loads, I'm ready to go."

Lyles, who won 200m bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, added that he had expected his heat competitors to "fall in line" and "they didn't!"

"To be honest, I should have expected that knowing that this is the Olympics, but this is my first time in an Olympic 100m, so I didn't, but that's on me, I'm not going to let that happen," he said.

Lyles hailed the near-capacity 69,000-strong crowd at the France's national stadium, a far cry from the spectator-less, Covid-hit Tokyo Olympics.

"It's a lot different: no fans means no energy," he said, adding it was also "more fun than the worlds".

"I feel like I had to prove I was the fastest, this time a lot of people know it and I'm a target."

Heat winner Hinchliffe -- coached by US track and field legend Carl Lewis -- warned that the "job's not done".

"I'm not going to get too far ahead of myself. Drive out hard, push, stay relaxed and just trust my race," the Briton said. "I don't really think too much about the time, I'm just trying to execute my race."

Defending Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs also progressed to Sunday's semi-finals, with the final scheduled later the same session at the Stade de France.

The Italian clocked 10.05sec, also made to work hard in the final 20 metres to finish second in a close heat behind Kayinsola Ajayi of Nigeria.

"Tomorrow is another day," said Jacobs.

"Today was a little bit so-so. I'm Olympic champion so I want to arrive in the final and fight for the medal."

Lyles' teammates Kenny Bednarek and Olympic silver medallist Fred Kerley won their heats, both in 9.97sec.

Also advancing into the semis of the 100m were Jamaica's Kishane Thompson -- the fastest man in the year with his 9.77sec -- who looked very comfortable in winning his heat in 10.00sec.

Thompson's teammates Oblique Seville and Ackeem Blake also went through to ensure a strong Jamaican presence.

Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala, the second-fastest man in the world this year, won his heat in 10.08sec, while South African Akani Simbine claimed victory in 10.03 ahead of Blake in their heat.

Canada's two-time Olympic 100m bronze medallist Andre de Grasse, Botswana's Letsile Tebogo and Britain's world bronze medallist Zharnel Hughes also went through.

In the field, there was likewise no drama for Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis in qualification in the men's pole vault.

Duplantis, the defending Olympic gold medallist, two-time world champion, vaulted only twice, at 5.60 and 5.75m, to ensure participation in Monday's final.