By CNN
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American sprinters Noah Lyles, Gabby Thomas and Sha’Carri Richardson set blistering times in their respective 200-meter semifinals at the US Olympic track and field trials on Friday, further strengthening their status as the USA’s biggest medal hopes at the upcoming Paris Games.
In the men’s 110m hurdles, Grant Holloway recorded a time of 12.81 seconds, the fourth-fastest time in history to reach his second Olympic Games.
Lyles recorded a time of 19.60 seconds in his semifinal, a time that would have broken the meet record if not for the 2.5mph wind – just above the allowed speed for records to stand. He finished ahead of Christian Coleman in second with a time of 19.89, while Kenny Bednarek, Robert Gregory and rising star Erryion Knighton also all recorded sub-20 seconds times to qualify for the final on Saturday.
Such a performance left Lyles clutching his chest and pulling an expression of mock disbelief as he slowed down after crossing the finish line.
“It felt real easy,” he told broadcaster NBC Sports afterwards. “I was very shocked to see that time pop up. I wasn’t even really trying. I shut down pretty hard, too, in the end.”
Meanwhile, Richardson matched her personal-best time, stopping the clock at 21.92 in her semifinal. Shortly afterwards, however, Tokyo bronze medalist Thomas recorded a world-leading time of 21.78 in her semifinal to qualify fastest for the final.
The top three athletes in each event at the trials earn a spot on the US team for the Paris Olympics, which begin on July 26.
Richardson and Lyles have already secured their spots on the US team for the Paris Olympics by winning the women’s and men’s 100 meters, respectively, last week. Both of them showcased their scintillating form in that race as Lyles clocked a personal best of 9.83 and Richardson a world-leading time of 10.71 seconds.
