Bree Masters has stormed home in the slipstream of the great Sha’Carri Richardson to become the first Australian woman in 24 years to qualify for the Olympic 100m semi-finals.
Drawn alongside the reigning world champion from the United States in lane seven, the 29-year-old Masters finished strongly to claim the third and final automatic qualifying spot in the opening heat on Friday in 11.26 seconds.
American superstar Richardson won easing up in 10.94 – the fourth fastest overall time – ahead of the semi-finals on Saturday.
It was a mixed opening day at Stade de France for the Australians.
Gold medal contenders Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson cruised through high jump qualifying along with new world record holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh from Ukraine.
Rose Davies was rewarded for an excellent tactical display in her 5000m heat, finishing third in 15:00.86 to book a spot in her first global final on Wednesday.
It continued a career-best year for Davies, who broke Jessica Hull’s national record in May.
Teenager Claudia Hollingsworth was an impressive second in her 800m heat to claim a spot in the semis, but fellow Australians Abbey Caldwell and Catriona Bisset will have to back up for the repechage round on Saturday.
Commonwealth champion Olli Hoare, Stewart McSweyn and Adam Spencer were all pitched into the repechage round of the men’s 1500m.
And Tokyo Games bronze medallist Ash Moloney lasted just three disciplines in the decathlon before succumbing to an adductor injury.
Masters was all smiles after becoming the first Australian female sprinter since Melinda Gainsford-Taylor at the Sydney 2000 Games to reach the Olympic 100m semis.
“My one goal coming here was to have fun and try and make the semi-final and also run the best I possibly can,” she said.
“I ran a season’s best and now hopefully it will be a PB in the semi.”
Richardson missed the Tokyo Games in 2021 due to a controversial one-month ban for a positive marijuana test.
Making a belated Olympic debut on Friday, she looked every inch a serious gold medal contender.
“I wanted to race against someone really cool and Sha’Carri is probably the coolest you could get,” said Masters.
“It’s not every day you get to race the fastest woman in the world.”
Fellow Australian Ella Connolly was unluckily run out in 11.29.
Olyslagers and Mahuchikh were the only athletes to go through the high jump qualifying round without a miss.
Patterson, who has won gold and silver at the last two world championships, needed two attempts to get over at 1.92m before a first-time clearance at 1.95m.
The final is on Sunday evening.
Hollingsworth defied her tender years, running a tactically astute race in the last of six women’s 800m heats.
With only the top three advancing straight to the semis, she held second spot for much of the race, crossing the line in 1:58.77.
“It’s probably the most relaxed I’ve ever been on a start line,” said Hollingsworth.
“(Coach Craig Mottram) just said ‘when you’re out there, look up, take a deep breath and then don’t look at it any more’ and I felt like that’s exactly what I did.”
Hoare was one of many athletes to criticise the introduction of a repechage round for all events between 200m and 1500m and both hurdles in Paris to provide more content for the broadcasters.
But he was thankful to have a second chance – along with McSweyn and Spencer – after a poor 1500m heat run.
Hoare tangled with Kenyan Brian Komen in a rough-and-tumble race before fading to finish 13th in 3:39.11.
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