Paris 2024 Olympics: Noah Lyles, Marcell Jacobs, and Oblique Seville advance to 100m semi-finals
Noah Lyles, Kishane Thompson and Marcell Jacobs all progressed to the men’s 100m semi-finals as a handful of outside contenders made statements in the heats on Saturday (3 August) at Paris 2024.
The fastest overall time was posted by the United States' Kenneth Bednarek and Fred Kerley (both 9.97), and the pair will be out to upset compatriot Lyles on Sunday.
Reigning world champion Lyles was the 12th fastest overall (10.04), and beaten in his heat by Great Britain’s Louie Hinchliffe (9.99), the 22-year-old Brit trained by Olympic legend Carl Lewis.
Jacobs, who has endured an injury-hit three years since winning 100m gold at Tokyo 2020, also finished second in his heat (10.05) behind Nigeria’s Kayinsola Ajayi (10.02).
Thompson of Jamaica, meanwhile, is the fastest man this year and ran exactly 10 seconds to win the first of eight heats.
Only Cameroon's Emmanuel Eseme (9.98) and Jamaica’s Oblique Seville (9.99) joined the U.S. pair and Hinchliffe in going sub-10 at the Stade de France, while just 0.1 second split the top 18 sprinters.
The men’s 100m semi-finals take place on Sunday (4 August) at 19:05 local time, with the final later that evening at 20:50.
Paris 2024 men's 100m heats
The big names certainly did not get it all their own way in the heats, which once more played out in front of a packed Stade de France crowd.
For his part, Thompson delivered as expected in the opening heat, the Jamaican hopeful – who ran a 2024 best of 9.77 in the Jamaican trials in June – crossing the line in exactly 10 seconds.
It was then the turn of Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala, who like Thompson has gone quicker than Lyles this year with a 9.79.
Omanyala won his heat with a 10.08, and told Olympics.com afterwards: “It was nice. I had a great time here today and I’m looking forward to tomorrow. It’s amazing, I’m just hoping we give the crowd a show tomorrow. I’m feeling great.”
Louie Hinchliffe reacts after pipping Noah Lyles in their heat
Team GB's Hinchliffe stuns Lyles
There was then a shock in the third heat, with Hinchliffe quicker out the blocks and going 0.06 seconds faster than Lyles, who will be out to lay down a marker in Sunday’s semis.
Hinchliffe told Olympics.com: “I had to get my revenge from London, it was a great feeling. I’m not trying to get too far ahead of myself, it’s only the first round. It doesn’t matter, this time, you’ve just got to focus on the next race.
“I go in every race to try and win it. Hopefully that leads to the result I want.”
A quick fourth heat then saw Seville post 9.99 ahead of Japan’s Abdul Hakim Sani Brown (10.02), with Ajayi then pipping Olympic champion Jacobs in the fifth.
The joint-fastest times were then set in the seventh and eighth heats by Americans Bednarek and Kerley.
“It felt great, it felt easy, 9.97, I’m happy about that,” Bednarek said. “The track feels fast, there’s going to be some fast starts.”
Kerley added: “I did what I always do, I’m good to go. [The crowd] is beautiful.”