The USA is hosting this track and field world championships for the first time

Not everything is going well for the United States in the 10-day Track and Field Worlds Championship it is hosting for the first time.

Not good news in the men’s 800 qualifying, for not a single American advanced to the semifinals. It was unexpected, but they had to take the bad with the good. In the men’s javelin, Curtis Thompson was the lone US qualifier and he threw for 81-73, the eighth best in the heats. In the men’s triple jump, the one-two duo of Will Claye (16.70) and Donald Scott (16.84) moved on. Scott had the seventh best hop set and jump, Claye the 10th. But this technical event can change with each new attempt.

In the men’s 5,000, the two Americans that advanced were Grant Fisher in 13:24.44 and Adbil Nur in 13:24 48, both from the same, with Fisher taking second and Nur fourth. Their heat was not one of the fastest ones even though ii was a tight finish. Seven times were faster than theirs, but things could change in the semifinals and Fisher’s times have been better. He’s the veteran, Nur the newcomer.

In the women’s 800, there was better news for the United States as one of the favorites, Athing Mu qualified in 2:01.30, Raewyn Rogers in 2:01.36, and Ajee Wilson in 2:01.02, and all in separate heats. Mu had an easy time from start to finish, but her time should pick up in the semis. She has already run many times under two minutes. The best of the qualifiers was by Dirbe Wetji of Ethiopia winning her heat in 1:58.34., and two others went under two minutes.

In the women’s 200-meter final, Abbey Steiner of the US finished fifth in 22.26 and Tamara Clark sixth in 22.32, with the gold medal going to Jamaica’s Sherika Jackson in 21.45.