The final event of the second morning session of the Athletics programme was a huge one, with the heats for the Men’s 100 meters taking place.

Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin, the two favorites for the gold medal, made it through safely by winning their heats, as did several of the main contenders, though not all the expected semifinalists made it through.

Blake, American duo among recognisable names through

Racing in heat two, the ever-controversial Gatlin was the fastest man through to the final, easing to a winning time of 10.01 seconds. Later on in the programme, in heat seven, Bolt eased to a winning time of 10.07s despite a slow start, making it through to the semifinals as the fourth-fastest runner.

Justin Gatlin, followed by Daniel Bailey, races in heat two of the Men's 100 meters (Getty/Paul Gilham)
Justin Gatlin, followed by Daniel Bailey, races in heat two of the Men's 100 meters (Getty/Paul Gilham)

The silver medalist four years ago, Yohan Blake has struggled with injury the past few years but he impressed as he made it through heat six with a time of 10.11s. Also, Andre De Grasse, a medalist at the World Championships last year, won his heat as did the emerging talent of Ben Youssef Meite, whose winning time of 10.03s made him the second-fastest person into the semifinals.

Yohan Blake leads his heat of the Men's 100 metres (Getty/Shaun Botterill)
Yohan Blake leads his heat of the Men's 100 metres (Getty/Shaun Botterill)

As well as Gatlin, Trayvon Bromell and Marvin Bracy also made it through for the United States. Bracy made it through as a fastest loser, finishing third in heat one, whilst Bromell qualified automatically after finishing second behind Meite in heat five.

Veterans Nickel Ashmeade and Kim Collins made it through from heat three (the latter as a fastest loser), whilst the French duo of Jimmy Vicaut and Christophe Lemaitre laboured through as fastest losers after rather disappointing runs.

Nickel Ashmeade after his heat of the Men's 100 metres (Getty/Paul Gilham)
Nickel Ashmeade after his heat of the Men's 100 metres (Getty/Paul Gilham)

Also qualifying

Kemarley Brown, Xie Zhenye and Akani Simbine all won their respective heats to safely progress to the semifinals tomorrow night; Simbine particularly could be a danger to many in this competition.

Behind Bolt in heat seven, Andrew Fisher finished second to qualify automatically whilst James Dasaolu came in third and qualified as a fastest loser. Dasaolu’s fellow Brit, Chindji Ujah, finished second in heat one to secure his appearance in the next stage whilst Jaki Ali Harvey, a former Jamaican now racing in Turkey, finished behind Blake in heat six to make it through.

There was some success for Japan, with both Aska Cambridge and Ryota Yamagata making it through safely, whilst Daniel Bailey and Cejhae Greene (as a fastest loser) both made it through for Antigua and Barbuda.

China have two sprinters in the semifinal with Su Bingtian joining Zhenye in making it through, whilst Iranian Hassan Taftian making it through as a fastest loser.

Some notable names crash out

Though most the medal contenders made it through, there were some surprising casualties in the first round.

In the eighth and final heat, both Aaron Brown and Ramon Gittens, who many predicted to make the final, both crashed out after both failed to make it through as a fastest loser.

Two-time Olympic medalist Richard Thompson finished in a lowly seventh position in heat seven, whilst his fellow Trinidadian Keston Bledman failed to qualify from heat five. Also, the experienced Churandy Martina who, like Thompson, reached the final in 2012 but only finished fifth in heat five.

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About the author
Oliver Dickson Jefford
20. English Literature student at the University of Southampton. Aspiring sports journalist from Hertfordshire.