World Athletics Championship: Fred Kerley makes 'statement' with 9.79 second time in 100m heats

 American sprinter Fred Kerley made a "statement" in clocking 9.79 seconds in his 100m heat at the World Championships, says Michael Johnson.

The Olympic silver medallist sent out an extraordinary warning of his form as he seeks a first world medal over the shorter sprint distance.

It was the fastest heat time ever recorded in World Championship history.

"There's definitely more in the tank, that was very easy," said four-time Olympic champion Johnson on BBC TV.

"I was watching how [Kerley] ran that race and he just looked so easy, confident, in control of the race from start to finish and runs 9.79, that's an incredible time for him.

"This track is quick, there's no doubt about that, but an amazing performance."

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Kerley's blistering time came on the same track in Eugene, Oregon, that he set a personal best and world lead of 9.76 secs in winning the US trials in June.

The 27-year-old is a three-time world medallist across the 400m and 4x400m relay but switched to the shorter distances last year.

"It is a statement," Johnson added. "I've spent time with Fred, he's a great guy, and that's sort of his thing - no nonsense, all business, that's the image he wants to portray, it's what he feels most comfortable with.

"He certainly has the talent.

"This just looked effortless. This is where his confidence is coming from, this is why he is the favourite at this point."

Great Britain's Zharnel Hughes finished second behind Kerley in heat two, recording the fifth-fastest time overall and a season's best of 9.97 secs to progress to Saturday's semi-finals.

Olympic champion rusty on injury return

Jacobs (second left) has had an injury-hit season

But Kerley's performance was a stark contrast to that of Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs, who looked rusty after struggling with a thigh injury this year.

The Italian, a shock winner in Tokyo, equalled his season's best of 10.04 seconds but finished second behind Jamaica's Oblique Seville in his heat.

"The stadium, the track and the atmosphere were great but I struggled in the race," he said.

"I'm not at my 100% but gave everything I had. I will go to physio to be ready for tomorrow.

"Running 10.04 at half capacity of what I can run, I can say my physical shape is fine. I just need to get my legs ready."

American Trayvon Bromell qualified second fastest for the semi-finals with his time of 9.89 secs, keen to make amends for last year when he missed out on the Olympic final despite entering the Games as favourite.

Defending world champion Christian Coleman won his heat in 10.08 secs as he made his comeback to a major championship after his whereabouts suspension.

The American received a two-year ban in 2020 after missing three drugs tests, meaning he missed the Olympics.

World bronze medallist Andre de Grasse appeared to lack sharpness as he finished second behind Coleman, but Botswana's Letsile Tebogo set an under-20 world record of 9.94 secs in beating former world champion Yohan Blake of Jamaica to the line in his heat.

There was a mad rush to the start line for Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala, who only landed in Eugene about three hours before his heat after visa issues.

Africa's fastest man only received permission to enter the United States on Thursday, flying out of Kenya at 18:00 local time that night.

He scraped through to the semi-finals, finishing third in the final heat in 10.10 secs.

"It looks like everybody is talking about me but I hope it is for a good reason," said Omanyala, who served a doping ban in 2017.

"I just want to focus on the race and not the other things around. My body feels heavy now but even if I had not made it from the heats, the journey would be worth coming here."