US sprint star Sha'Carri Richardson launched her latest bid for a first World Championships berth in style Thursday, clocking a world leading 10.71sec to lead the 100m heats at the US athletics championships in Eugene, Oregon.
Richardson delivered a personal best to continue her strong start to a season highlighted by the World Championships in Budapest in August.
Richardson clocked a 10.76sec at the Doha Diamond League meeting on May 5 -- a month after a sensational wind-aided 10.57sec at the Miramar Invitational in Florida in April.
On Thursday she improved on the previous world-leading time of the season of 10.75sec set by Ivorian Marie-Josee Ta Lou at the Bislett Games on June 15.
Richardson was infamously barred from the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021 after testing positive for marijuana.
She then saw her hopes of challenging for a medal at last year's World Championships vanish when she bombed out of the US trials.
The 23-year-old, who said this season she is making up for lost time, opted not to discuss her performance, preferring to remain focused with the semi-finals and final to come on Friday.
Only the top three finishers will secure a World Championships berth.
Richardson easily won her heat ahead of Brittany Brown, whose 10.96 was second-fastest overall.
Tamara Clark posted the third-fastest time of 11.02.
Aleia Hobbs, who has ducked under 11 seconds half a dozen times this season, safely made it into the semis with a time of 11.11sec.
Christian Coleman, the 2019 world champion who missed the Tokyo Olympics after a ban for missed drug tests, topped the times in the men's 100m heats in 9.95sec.
Cravont Charleston was second-fastest overall in 10.01 while Kendal Williams and JT Smith both posted times of 10.02.
Last year's 100m world bronze medallist Trayvon Bromell and Noah Lyles finished with identical times of 10.05 as they made it safely into the semi-finals.
Marvin Bracy-Williams, who took silver behind fellow American Fred Kerley at last year's worlds, pulled up with an injury and failed to advance.
"You hit 9.95 in the first round, it seems like a pretty good race," Coleman said. "So just try to clean it up and let it rip tomorrow."
He said he'd put behind him a disappointing third-place finish at the New York Grand Prix last month.
- Lyles' wild week -
But while he feels up to the challenge, Coleman knows the competition remains fierce, even with Kerley, who has a bye as defending champion in the event, opting to run the 200m this week.
"Just anybody's game when you get out there on the line," Coleman said. "So I've got to earn it."
Lyles, the reigning 200m world champion who is targeting a 100-200 double in Budapest, recovered from a mediocre start to advance, and revealed after the race he had only been cleared to travel on Sunday after a second bout of Covid.
"Very wild week," Lyles said. "I'm still in pretty good shape. My top end (speed) is there, just got to wake my body up."
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the 400m hurdles world record holder and world champion who has turned her attention to the 400 flat this season, led the 400m heats with a time of 49.79sec.
Britton Wilson, in her first race since the US collegiate NCAA championships, won her heat in the second-fastest overall time of 50.08.
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