Richardson and Lyles get off to a fast start in quest for second medals at the world championships

Sha'Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles each kicked off their quest for a second medal at the world championships Wednesday by easily winning their heats in the 200-meter preliminaries.

Richardson finished in 22.16 seconds and Lyles in 20.05 in a pair of no-drama returns to the track after they gave the United States the first sweep of the 100 meters at a worlds since 2017, when Justin Gatlin and Tori Bowie won in London.

Three women who have run faster than Richardson in the 200 this year — Jamaica's Shericka Jackson, St. Lucia's Julien Alfred and the United States' Gabby Thomas — also qualified easily.

Defending 800-meter Olympic and world champion Athing Mu, who wavered on running at the worlds through much of the summer, showed up and won her opening heat.

Heats for the women's 5,000 meters, where Faith Kipyegon opens her quest for a second medal after winning the 1,500 on Tuesday, were moved to the evening session because of the heat. The temperature in Budapest reached 32 degrees Celsius at noon, with the 55% humidity making it feel like 34.

There were four medals on the line in the evening session of Day 5 at the worlds: in women's pole vault, the men's 1,500 meters, the women's 400 and the men's 400 hurdles.

The hurdles race will feature two-time world champion Karsten Warholm of Norway, defending champion Alison Dos Santos of Brazil and Rai Benjamin of the United States, who has finished second at the last two worlds and the Tokyo Olympics.

In Tokyo, Benjamin's 46.17 was the second-fastest time ever but he finished behind Warholm, whose 45.94 in that race remains the world record.

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