LONDON (AP) — The Latest from the track world championships (all times local):
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8 p.m.
Olympic heptathlon champion Nafi Thiam came out on top in the shot put to extend her lead with three of the seven events completed at the world championships.
After being tied for first in the high jump, the Belgian threw 15.17 meters to extend her lead in the competition with only the 200 meters left on the first day.
Thiam has 3,087 points, 72 more than Carolin Schafer of Germany. Yorgelis Rodriguez of Cuba fell back from second to third with 2,964 points.
Katarina Johnson-Thompson of Britain again disappointed with poor throws and fell back to 13th place.
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7:55 p.m.
Defending champion Genzebe Dibaba skirted a major upset in the semifinals of the 1,500 meters, finishing sixth in her heat with only five automatic qualifiers at the world championships.
The Ethiopian had to wait until the results of the second semifinal heat came through and qualified when her time was among the top two of the non-automatic qualifiers.
Dibaba was still in the mix with 200 meters to go in her race but instead of producing her devastating final kick, she faded.
Faith Kipyegon of Kenya and Caster Semenya of South Africa both advanced from the same heat.
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7:25 p.m.
Usain Bolt made his last date with a 100-meter final, even though he failed to win his semifinal heat at the world championships.
Bolt was again slow out of the blocks, came back strong and coasted to the line, giving Christian Coleman the win in 9.97 seconds, .01 seconds ahead of the Jamaican.
His rival from the past years, Justin Gatlin, was also through. He finished second in the first semifinal heat behind Akani Simbine of South Africa.
The final is set for later Saturday and will be Bolt’s last individual race.
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7:10 p.m.
Five more medals were awarded at the world championships for athletes whose results were upgraded because of past doping offenses.
Kara Goucher of the United States was given a silver medal for her run in the 10,000 meters at the 2007 worlds, while Jo Pavey of Britain was upgraded to bronze in the same race.
Also, Irina Lishchynska of Ukraine was given silver for the 1,500 in 2007, Ineta Radevica was given silver for the long jump from the 2011 worlds and Rutger Smith of the Netherlands was given a bronze for the shot put from 2007.
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7:05 p.m.
Justin Gatlin of the United States advanced to the final of the 100 meters at the world championships, doing his part to set up another duel for gold with Usain Bolt later in the day.
Gatlin finished second behind Akani Simbine in the first of three semifinal heats to clinch an automatic qualifying spot. Simbene had a time of 10.05 seconds, an edge of .04 seconds over Gatlin.
Bolt is in the last semifinal heat.
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12:40 p.m.
All the favorites advanced to the semifinals in the women’s 100 meters at the world championships, despite a downpour affecting many of the runners at the Olympic Stadium.
Gina Luckenkemper of Germany, who raced before the rain came had the top time of 10.95 seconds, was the only woman to break the 11-second mark.
Olympic champion Elaine Thompson of Jamaica easily won her heat in 11.05, while Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands had more of a struggle finishing second to Marie-Josee Ta Lou of Ivory Coast. Ta Lou had the second-best time of 11.00.
Tori Bowie of the United States got the worst of the rain but still looked very strong as she took her heat in 11.05.
The semifinals and final are set for Sunday.
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12:30 p.m.
In the hammer throw, look for Anita Wlodarczyk.
The Olympic champion from Poland needed only one throw to beat the automatic qualifying mark of 71.50 meters, tossing the hammer 74.61.
Teammate Joanna Fiodorov also reached Monday’s final with a throw of 71.72. But the Pole with the top mark was Malwina Kopron, who had a toss of 74.97.
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11:55 a.m.
There is another great triple jump duel coming up at the world championships.
Olympic champion Caterine Ibarguen and her closest rival, 2012 Olympic champion Olga Rypakova, both qualified for Monday’s final on their first attempt.
Ibarguen beat the automatic qualifying mark of 14.20 meters by one centimeter, while Rypakova had a mark of 14.57.
Ibarguen had a winning streak of 34 competitions going when Rypakova broke it last year in Birmingham, England.
The year’s top jumper, 21-year-old Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela, also advanced with a mark of 14.52.
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11:05 a.m.
It was almost vintage Usain Bolt. Slow start, work your way up, and at the end look left and right before coasting first across the line in a jog.
This time it was Wayde van Niekerk winning his opening heat in the 400 meters, his first race of possibly six in as many days at the world championships. The Olympic champion crossed in 45.27 seconds, .26 ahead of Nery Brenes of Costa Rica.
Like Bolt, a rival setting off faster no longer phases him. Van Niekerk just made sure he produced some extra power on the final straight to rein in Brenes.
Van Niekerk is seeking to win gold in both the 400 and 200 meters over the next week. He is tipped by many to become the sport’s top star now that Bolt is retiring after the world championships.
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10:30 a.m.
Shot put qualifying is usually about doing enough to get into the final. They didn’t tell Tomas Walsh.
The New Zealander had a massive throw of 22.14 meters, which the IAAF said was the second biggest ever in the 34-year history of the event. The championship record is 22.23 meters, set by Werner Guenthor in 1987.
Joining Walsh in Sunday’s final with a first automatic qualifying mark were Olympic champion Ryan Crouser and two-time world champion David Storl of Germany.
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10:20 a.m.
Wayde Van Niekerk, the man seeking to succeed Usain Bolt as the sport’s best athlete, sets off for double gold at the world championships in the 400 meters.
The South African is running the first round of the 400 on Day 2 of the worlds, and hopes to cap it with gold in the 200 next Thursday in what would be his sixth race in as many days. In the 400, the defending champion will face tough competition from Isaac Makwala of Botswana and Fred Kerley of the United States.
In other morning events, the women’s heptathlon starts with Olympic champion Nafi Thiam of Belgium the favorite after breaking the 7,000-point mark earlier this season.
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