Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo starred for the 16-time champions, registering a team-high 18 points and seven rebounds in their 103-86 triumph at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium.
The USA led from the first quarter and never looked back, with 14 of Adebayo's points coming before half-time as their star-studded bench maintained their advantage.
For South Sudan, Nuni Omot led the way with a game-high 24 points, but with a team boasting 12 NBA All-Stars, four NBA MVPs and six NBA champions, it proved too much for the Bright Stars.
Kevin Durant (14), Anthony Edwards (13), LeBron James (12), Devin Booker (10) and Derrick White all finished in double figures to ensure there was no repeat of their close encounter with their opponents prior to the Games.
South Sudan led the United States by 16 points in their pre-tournament fixture, but narrowly avoided a huge upset in London as they emerged 101-100 victors.
The United States will face winless Puerto Rico in their final group game this Saturday.
Meanwhile, in the other Group C fixture, Nikola Jokic made Olympic history as he helped Serbia ease to their biggest win at the Games following a 107-66 triumph over Puerto Rico.
Jokic finished with 14 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists, becoming the first player in Olympic history to record at least 10 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists in a single game.
Filip Petrusev also played his part in the victory, with Serbia knowing they must beat South Sudan in their final group game to qualify for the knockout stages.
The 21-year-old defending champion ran a new personal best and championship record 6.96, the joint-fourth fastest time ever, to win heat one and advance to Saturday’s final as the fastest qualifier.
The Commonwealth Games 100m silver-medallist entered the championships as a massive favorite to retain her title as she is unbeaten in the event this season with winning times of 7.05, 7.02, 7.05, 7.00, 7.03 and 6.97.
Alfred, now the joint-fastest Caribbean woman of all time in the event alongside Jamaican legend Merlene Ottey, will be joined in the final by Jamaican Clemson senior Kiara Grant who wan 7.14 for third in the first heat.
Later, Alfred also ran 22.38 to advance to the final of the 200m. LSU's Favor Ofili was the fastest qualifier with a spectacular 22.11, the third fastest time ever behind Merlene Ottey's 21.87 and Abby Steiner's 22.09.
Elsewhere, Jamaican Arkansas sophomore Joanne Reid ran 51.98 to advance to the final of the Women’s 400m.
While it was unbridled joy for those three, it was heartbreak for another Jamaican Megan Tapper, as the Olympic medallist placed fourth and her time was not good enough to see her through to tomorrow’s final scheduled for 2:25pm Jamaica time.
Charlton and Tapper both ran from semi-final one, where they placed second and fourth respectively. Charlton, 27, secured the second automatic qualifying spot in 12.49s, behind American Kendra Harrison, who won in 12.33s.
Despite running her heart out, Tapper (12.55s) was out dipped by Switzerland’s Ditaji Kambundji (12.50s), who progressed to tomorrow’s final as one of the two fastest qualifiers on time ahead of the Jamaican.
The second semi-final was just an exciting with Ackera Nugent leading for most of the way but was pipped on the line by Nigeria’s World Record holder Tobi Amusan. Nugent stopped the clock in 12.60s, behind Amusan’s 12.56s.
The last of the three semi-finals saw Jamaica’s former World Champion Danielle Williams off to a blistering start, but she lost her composure close to the end and had to settle for third in a season’s best 12.50s. Fortunately, for her the time was good enough to progress to the final.
Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn produced a late burst to win in 21.41s, with American Nia Ali (12.49s), just bettering Williams on the line.
You can catch live action of the 2023 World Athletic Championships by downloading the Sportsmax App.
Wiley secured a move to Stamford Bridge from Atlanta United for a reported £8.5million ($11m) on Monday.
But before linking up with his new team, Wiley will play for his country as the Stars and Stripes aim to claim gold at the Paris Games.
The USA are playing at the Olympics for the first time since 2008, and open their account against France in Marseille on Wednesday, and the aim for Wiley is clear.
The left-back told the Associated Press: "A medal. That's what we're going to fight for, and I have full belief that we're going to do it."
Wiley has been overwhelmed with congratulatory messages after his transfer to one of the giants of English football, but he has credited the Olympics with helping him take his mind off one of the biggest moments of his career so far.
He said: "I think for me the most important moment was staying present. It's been an ongoing thing for a while now, for a few months.
"Just knowing where I was, staying focused with Atlanta at that time and then now with the Olympics has helped me kind of just be in the moment.
"I think it's important to enjoy it first. You know this doesn't happen to many kids and so I think you need to embrace the feeling."
The 19-year-old registered six goals and seven assists in 77 MLS matches across two and a half seasons with Atlanta.
The USA, along with Thierry Henry's France, have also been grouped with Guinea and New Zealand in Group A.
And coach Marko Mitrovic is embracing the enormity of facing the hosts in their first match after a 16-year absence, but stressed the result against Les Bleus will not define his team's tournament.
He said: "We are very grateful to play that game. It's going to stay forever for us, but it's only one of three games that we have in the group stage and the points of the game count the same as in the other games."
The 25-year-old Bromell, who showed prodigious talent as a junior, suffered several injury setbacks early in his senior career. The sprinter announced himself as one for the future after finishing third in the 100m at the 2015 Beijing World Championships. Just a few years later, however, Bromell had gone through two ankle surgeries, the second putting him out of track and field for up to two years. He then tore an adductor soon after his return in 2019.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which was held in 2021, was supposed to be a comeback year for the American sprinter. After qualifying for the Olympics, however, he subsequently failed to make the final and was left despondent. According to the American, Blake, who himself suffered career-threatening injuries during his time, was the first to reach out.
“It’s been humbling and an honour for them to even support me and they’ve helped me through hard times. After the Games, Yohan came and sat down with me in Tokyo and told me how proud he was of my comeback,” Bromell told Essentially Sports.
The young runner has also received encouragement from Bolt and spoke glowingly of his strong connection to the duo.
“I’ve got a real strong connection with both Usain and Yohan,” said the US Sprinter. “I’ve talked to both of them during this process when I’ve been coming back.”
Curry, who helped Team USA to an opening 110-84 win over Serbia, echoed a sentiment pushed by his Golden State Warriors coach, Steve Kerr.
Ahead of the Games, the USA endured a stern test against Wednesday's opponents earlier this month, narrowly avoiding a huge upset with a 101-100 victory in London.
South Sudan are making their first appearance at the Olympics, and got their campaign up and running with a 90-79 triumph over Puerto Rico.
Despite South Sudan not having any current NBA players on their roster, they have plenty of experience within their ranks.
The likes of Wenyen Gabriel, JT Thor and Marial Shayok all shone in their pre-tournament meeting with the USA, with Curry acknowledging a tough task lies ahead.
"We have appropriate fear," said Curry. "We know we can't just sleepwalk through any game and feel like you're going to win."
While the USA are still the clear favourites to win the encounter at the Stade Pierre Mauroy, head coach Kerr said their previous encounter will be to their advantage this time around.
"They came within one shot of beating us," Kerr said.
"I'm really glad that we played them so we can feel their speed and their 3-point shooting ability and feel how good they are."
"We'll be much better prepared [Wednesday]. But doesn't guarantee anything."
During their pre-tournament encounter, South Sudan scored 14 3-pointers against the Americans, making 10 more against Puerto Rico last time out.
"The exhibition schedule was great because you got to figure out where we need to get better and also feel the force of teams that are coming trying to beat us," Curry said.
"They're a very high-octane offense, spread the floor, shoot a lot of 3s and have athleticism. So you just got to be mindful of how to guard them. It's totally different than Serbia."
Bolt has admitted to being a fan of the energy and sassy attitude of the American sprinter, which he believes is good for the sport. Richardson has in recent times, however, failed to turn that energy into strong performances on the track.
There was plenty of enthusiasm surrounding Richardson earlier this year, following several impressive performances in the months of April and May. Among them was a 10.72 clocking in Florida, which was at the time the fastest for the season.
Heading into the Olympics, the American cast herself as the one that could bring an end to over a decade of Jamaican dominance of athletics. Heading into the Games, however, Richardson tested positive for marijuana, was suspended for a month, and missed the event where Jamaica swept all the podium spots in the 100m.
After that, came a much-publicised Diamond League meeting between the American and the Jamaican Olympic medallist, in Eugene, Oregon, which was framed along the lines of being an opportunity for Richardson to show what would have happened had she not been suspended for the Olympics. Things did not go to plan, however, as she finished in 9th place, with the Jamaicans once again sweeping the top three spots.
She followed that up with a second-place finish in Italy, and a fourth-place finish, in the 200m, at the Diamond League meet in Brussels. Off the track, the sprinter was also criticised for what many believed amounted to disrespect for American sprint legend Allyson Felix. Bolt believes, at this point, the young American needs to refocus.
“I would tell Sha’Carri to train harder and to be focused and not say too much…,” Bolt said in a recent interview with the New York Post.
“If you talk that big talk you have to back it up,” he added.
“So just train hard and focus on that and try to come back, do it and then talk about it.”
Richardson’s performances have split a vocal global track and field fanbase. Her most ardent fans have continued to express support for the struggling sprinter, but others have expressed disappointment at both her performances and recent outbursts. Many, particularly supporters of Jamaican track and field, found the American’s massive failure amusing given her pre-race antics, exuberant expression, and what they believe is disregard for their decorated Olympic medallists.
“Jamaicans were vexed because she was talking a lot of s–t before the actual race, it is just one of those things,” Bolt said of Richardson’s lopsided loss in Eugene, where Olympic champion Elaine Thompson clocked 10.54, the second-fastest time ever run over the distance.
“Jamaicans don’t like when people talk s–t about us because we are a very proud people. So, if you talk about us we are gonna want you to back it up. It definitely gave those women the extra push.”
Ahead of the Games in Paris next year, James has reportedly been recruiting fellow NBA stars to gauge their interest in suiting up for the United States with the aim of winning a fifth straight men's basketball gold medal for their country.
Drummond was part of the team that won gold at the 2014 FIBA World Cup but was left off the roster for the 2016 and 2020 Olympics and looks an outside shot to be involved in Paris.
However, if James were to call, it would be an easy answer, with Drummond telling Stats Perform: "Yeah, I would go back, I wouldn't think twice. I'll go back.
"Not even just him [James], if anybody from that organisation called me, I would jump because I feel like I owe it to them and I owe it to my country. If I'm requested to service my country, I'm going to do it.
"Especially just the relationship that I have with those people in that organisation. That's a no-brainer.
"Wearing those three letters across the chest is an honour. You're not representing yourself anymore, you are representing the entire nation and it's a surreal thing."
Drummond was left out of the squads for the 2019 and 2023 World Cups, both of which ended with youthful USA teams returning home without a medal.
The Chicago Bulls center believes it is difficult for younger players to adapt to playing overseas.
Drummond also feels the rise of international stars such as Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the NBA exhibits how other countries are improving their national teams, meaning the USA are no longer a dominant force.
"It's a lot different," Drummond explained. "I feel like if you've never played overseas before, and you have never played in front of a hostile crowd, it can become a lot.
"There's a lot that goes into Olympic basketball, and I think nowadays, the international teams have gotten a lot better. If we're all being honest here, I think the players that have come into the NBA have shown that international players are here now. This is their time to showcase themselves.
"So, I don't think any international teams are going to take it lightly on the USA, especially after what we've done to people, year in and year out."
The United States will go in search of a fifth straight men's basketball gold in the French capital, where they open their Group C campaign against Serbia on Sunday.
After that meeting with Nikola Jokic and company, the star-studded USA team featuring Durant, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid and a host of other NBA stars take on South Sudan and Puerto Rico.
With Steve Kerr having so much talent at his disposal, the roster has been compared to that of the 1992 'Dream Team', who took gold in Barcelona behind the efforts of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Scottie Pippen and other great names.
However, at a press conference ahead of Team USA's 2024 opener, Curry reminded reporters that the class of 1992 only faced nine other active NBA players.
Durant is expecting a much tougher assignment this year, responding to Curry by saying: "Everybody is a contender. Everyone is here for a reason.
"We're playing against 65 or 64 NBA players in Paris. So you know they're the best in the world."
Asked to identify the main players to watch from other nations, the Phoenix Suns forward said: "Giannis [Antetokounmpo] or Jokic."
While Durant adopted a cautious tone, Golden State Warriors star Curry was more bullish regarding the USA's gold medal hopes.
Quizzed on who he was most excited about facing, Curry simply said: "Whoever's in the gold medal game."
Embiid, who was born in Cameroon but was granted US citizenship in 2022, declared for Team USA late last year after his home country failed to qualify.
That decision came after he also sought French citizenship, amid suggestions president Emmanuel Macron had called the Philadelphia 76ers star to convince him to represent the hosts.
Embiid has been jeered by French fans throughout the basketball tournament, with the USA winning all five of their games to date, reaching the final with Thursday's comeback victory over Serbia.
On the eve of Saturday's gold medal match, Embiid said: "Frankly, I don't understand why I've gotten a lot of criticism from the crowd.
"They're going to boo me. I'm going to go back at them and tell them to 'suck it.' It's going to be fun."
Reflecting on his decision to link up with LeBron James, Stephen Curry and company in representing the USA, Embiid said he would have played for Cameroon if they had qualified.
"Having lived half of my life in the US and the other half in my country, Cameroon, it just looked like it was, 'you could go two ways'," Embiid said.
"I said from the beginning that if Cameroon would've qualified, that would never have been a choice. Then having the family [in the US] and having built a lot of things and having accomplished a lot of things, knowing the group of guys deeply, it just made it easy.
"I think a lot of people wanted to make it an issue because of the storyline and all that stuff.
"But to me it's whatever it takes to win gold. So that's what I'm focused on. It's all about Team USA against France."
There has been plenty of excitement around the home nation heading into the men's Olympic tournament, with coach Thierry Henry selecting a strong squad even with superstars like Kylian Mbappe absent.
Yet it took more than an hour for the match in Marseille to spark into life, and even then France were reliant on a moment of magic from captain Alexandre Lacazette.
The United States were the better side up until Lacazette's breakthrough goal, with Djordje Mihailovic thundering against the crossbar shortly before the veteran striker went up the other end and picked out the bottom-left corner.
A frantic spell followed in which France twice could have been pegged back, grateful first to Guillaume Restes for a superb save from Paxten Aaronson and then to the goal frame as John Tolkin headed against the post.
Instead, a second goal against the run of play settled the nerves in the stands as Bayern Munich new boy Michael Olise curled a fine finish around Patrick Schulte from outside the box.
And Loic Bade added further gloss with a header from a Joris Chotard corner five minutes from time, while Griffin Yow saw a late consolation goal struck off for offside.
Data Debrief: Belated home comfort for Les Bleus
On paper, the gulf between the two teams was evident in the scoreline, but for those home fans in Marseille who grew audibly agitated early in the second half, this was far from easy viewing.
Although France finished with three goals, they only created chances worth 0.43 expected goals (xG). The strikes by Lacazette and Olise were inspired individual efforts rather than the result of fine team play.
Winning gold as the hosts is not easy in this event – only four nations (Great Britain in 1908, Belgium in 1920, Spain in 1992 and Brazil in 2016) have done so previously in 27 attempts – but more will be expected of Henry's outfit going forward.
Thierry Henry's side remain the only side in the tournament to win all of their games so far, and made light work of their opponents on Tuesday.
Jean-Philippe Mateta, who captained the side with Alexandre Lacazette on the bench, started off the scoring after the ball bundled its way into his path before finishing beyond Alex Paulsen in the 19th minute.
In a game that saw Les Bleus accumulate 34 shots at the Orange Velodrome, their dominance was rewarded with two quickfire goals late on.
Desire Doue would double the hosts' advantage from close range, with Arnaud Kalimuendo rounding off the scoring three minutes later to see France remain perfect.
France's triumph saw them win their first three games at the Games for the first time in their history, while also keeping three clean sheets on the spin for the first time at the Olympics.
In the other Group A encounter, the United States qualified for the knockout stages of the tournament for the first time since 2000 as they eased to a 3-0 win over Guinea.
A rampant start to the encounter saw Djordje Mihailovic and Kevin Paredes have Marko Mitrovic's two goals to the good just after the half-hour mark.
Despite finishing the encounter with just 37.8% possession, the United States were clinical in the final third as Paredes put the game beyond doubt in the 75th minute.
They return to action this Friday when they face Group B winners Morocco, who clinched top spot with a 3-0 win over Iraq while also finishing ahead of Argentina.
The American quartet of Tamari Davis, Twanisha Terry, Gabrielle Thomas and Sha’Carri Richardson, topped the event in a Championship record 41.03s Championship Record, ahead of their Jamaican counterparts – Natasha Morrison, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shashalee Forbes and Shericka Jackson –who ended in season’s best 41.21s.
Great Britain’s quartet of Asha Phillip, Imani Lansiquot, Bianca Williams and Daryll Neita, was third in a season’s best 41.97s.
During the event, Fraser-Pryce who has been braving a chronic knee injury, suffered what is reported to be a muscle strain, but like a warrior, pushed through the difficulty to safely hand off the baton, ensuring the country ended with a medal.
Goule-Toppin, who entered the championships ranked second in the world, contested the last of the seven heats, where she bided her time in the early stages, before challenging and pushing America’s reigning World Champion Athing Mu in the homestretch.
In the end, Goule-Toppin finished second in 1:59.64, behind Mu, who stopped the clock in 1:59.59. Switzerland’s Lore Hoffman clocked a season’s best 2:00.14 to secure the third automatic qualifying spot.
Though she ran a national record of 3:58.77 in the 1,500m semi-finals, where she shaved 3.07 seconds off the previous mark set by Yvonne Graham in Monaco in 1995, Tracey was more at home in the two-lap event, and she performed accordingly to book her spot in the next round.
The 30-year-old occupied the inside lane for most of the way before finding space in between competitors in the home stretch to close fast for second in heat four.
She stopped the clock in a season’s best 1:59.92, behind Uganda’s Halimah Nakaayi (1:59.68), with French athlete, Renelle Lamote (2:00.22, taking the third automatic qualifying spot from the heat.
Meanwhile, Cuba’s Rose Mary Almanza, who contested heat six, placed sixth in 2:01.33 and failed to progress.
The semi-finals are scheduled for Friday.
You can catch live action of the 2023 World Athletic Championships by downloading the Sportsmax App.
The United States team is taking shape as they prepare to defend their gold medal at the delayed 2021 Olympics.
Reports at the weekend detailed the expectation Durant would join the team after the Nets exited the NBA playoffs.
Durant was on the victorious USA teams in 2012 and 2016 and this year averaged 26.9 points per game in the regular season and 34.3 in the postseason – the 25th-best mark of all time.
The 2014 MVP will not be the only Brooklyn player on the Olympic team, according to The Athletic.
A hamstring injury limited Harden to 36 regular season games for the Nets following his trade from the Houston Rockets, before he played nine times in the playoffs, scoring an underwhelming 20.2 points per game.
Harden went to London in 2012 after his final season as a bench scorer for the Oklahoma City Thunder but not to Brazil four years later having established himself in Houston.
Golden State Warriors great Stephen Curry was involved on neither occasion – although he won the World Cup in 2010 and 2014 – and will not make his Olympic bow this year either, the report added.
Curry almost single-handedly carried the undermanned Warriors to the brink of the playoffs this year, taking the NBA scoring title with 32.0 points per game.
Donovan Mitchell, who struggled with an injury as the Utah Jazz lost to the Los Angeles Clippers, has also declined an invite, ESPN revealed.
Bam Adebayo, the Miami Heat center, will join the 12-man roster, though, aiming to bounce back from a playoff sweep at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks in which he scored just nine points on four-of-15 shooting in Game 1.
The USWNT come into the competition on the back of their earliest exit from a World Cup, losing to Sweden on penalties in the last 16 last year.
The United States arrive in Paris aiming to claim a fifth gold medal in the tournament, last triumphing in the competition at London 2012.
"This team is past that. I think this team is firmly focused on, you know, creating a new history together," said head coach Hayes, reflecting on the 2023 World Cup.
"Our motivation isn't always about righting the wrongs. Far from it. We're excited. We're prepared."
Since Hayes' arrival at the helm in May, she has won three of her four games in charge, securing four clean sheets in the process.
But a goalless draw with Costa Rica in their final pre-tournament fixture has supporters worried about their gold medal prospects.
"The team is exactly where it needs to be at this stage," Hayes assured. "And for us it's just so, so important we continue to focus on that process."
Hayes' side open their Group B campaign against Zambia, who have Barbra Banda in their ranks, the striker who has 12 goals in 12 games for Orlando Pride.
The USWNT are among the favourites to scoop the top award in Paris, with reigning world champions Spain also tipped for gold on their tournament debut.
But Hayes, who won seven WSL titles with Chelsea, feels the age-old assumption of American dominance in the women's game is disrespectful.
Hayes acknowledged that ambition is important, but emphasised that expectations for these Olympics must be amended due to the global growth of women's football.
"I think one of the biggest problems is that too often is that we talk about what we're going to do in Paris or what happens when we get to the semis and finals - I think it's disrespectful to the rest of the world to talk like that," Hayes said.
"I think the game has moved to a point where that isn't the case. It isn't a shoo-in to get somewhere. It has to be earned and there's no given right.
"There's top footballing nations in this tournament. I don't think shocks in the women's game exist any more.
"I think we have to reframe our focus a little bit and have respect for the rest of the world."
Biles claimed her fifth Olympic gold medal, her first since Rio 2016, after suffering from the 'twisties' in Tokyo four years ago.
Along with teammates Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles, Sunisa Lee, and Hezly Rivera, Team USA finished ahead of Italy and Brazil with a score of 171.296.
Team USA recorded the highest score on all four rotations and retained their crown as Olympic champions after settling for silver in Japan after Biles withdrew to protect her mental and physical health.
The Americans previously won team gold at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics and have won every team World Championship since 2011.
Biles delivered excellent performances on the bars and beam routines before a floor display that sealed the gold medal, something the 23-time world champion had set her sights on four years ago.
"I think we all had something to prove from Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and tonight we did just that," Biles said.
"It means the world. This was our goal going in, even though we didn't share it with everybody because it's just a personal thing that we were working on.
"But I think for everybody it's what we came here to do. And we're super excited to walk away with that gold medal."
Biles further cemented her legacy as one of the greatest athletes of all time, moving up to the top five among gymnasts with the most Olympic golds.
She also became the most decorated American gymnast in Olympic history with eight medals, surpassing USA great Shannon Miller.
Biles has four more finals still to come, with her next opportunity coming on Thursday in the all-around final, followed by the vault final on Saturday and the floor and beam finals on Monday.
In truth, the majority of the arguments have come from feuding sides of the Jamaica vs the United States track and field rivalry, which has amplified in recent months since the American burst onto the scene.
The flamboyant Richardson has certainly played her part in fueling debates in recent months, even if her performances have not quite lived up to expectations, the number of eyes on track and field certainly seems to have increased.
The American was initially expected to face a high-powered Jamaica trio of Fraser-Pryce, Elaine Thompson-Herah, and Shericka Jackson at the Olympic Games, but ended up missing the top-billed event after picking up a one-month suspension for using marijuana. At the event, Thompson-Herah broke the longstanding Olympic record with Fraser-Pryce second and Jackson third.
There was for Richardson and some fans, however, the sense of a missed opportunity and a much-hyped meeting of the American facing the Jamaica trio in Eugene two weeks later was presented in that light. Things did not go as planned for Richardson, however, as she had plenty to say before the event but finished in last place.
The result was the same as the Olympics with Thompson-Herah finishing first, Fraser-Pryce second, and Jackson third. However, it was Fraser-Pryce who went viral following the sprint as she was caught on camera passing an animated Richardson interview with a mirthful look and knowing smirk. The fans had a field day, but she insists there wasn’t too much to it.
“I mean, seriously, it was just a look,” Fraser-Pryce told sports lifestyle magazine The Undefeated.
“I was having a conversation with my teammate and she said something, and then I looked. But it wasn’t – it was just what it is. It was just a look, you know? It was just a look. Yeah. There was nothing more behind it, if I’m being very honest, there was nothing more behind it,” she added.
In her mind, the fiery mentality that the American brings to the sport is also good for track and field.
“I like her. I like her personality,” Fraser-Pryce said.
“…for us as women, we’re somehow supposed to just stand at the line, look cute and just run, [and] wave. We’re not allowed to express ourselves or show our emotions.”
Campbell, who earlier this year became the first Jamaican man to go beyond 22m when he launched the instrument to a national record of 22.22m, took his time to get going in Group A of qualifying, but eventually found his rhythm.
Though he missed the automatic qualifying mark of 21.40m, Campbell’s 20.83m on his third attempt, was good enough to make the final as it ranked him 10th across the two groups.
Prior to achieving the mark which placed him sixth in his group, the 27-year-old Campbell, opened with an underwhelming 19.83m and registered no mark on his second attempt.
Campbell rued a lack of warm up and the wet conditions for his slow start.
"I didn't get through the complete warm up, the rain poured so I didn't get to warm up around the back because there was lightning and all that, so I came out here and tried to force it. the ring was very slippery, so that caused a lot of downhill performance today, but as we progressed the ring got dryer and I could actually feel the grip and that is how the last one came together," the vibrant thrower shared.
While his national record ranked him fourth coming into the championships, Campbell remains grounded where his medal prospects are concerned.
"Honestly, I don't want to start getting into that right now because later on (the final is to come). So, the job is not done yet, for now I am holding it together, I want to get some food in my system, take a nap and then I will be back," he said.
"It is a level playing field...that's the thing about competition, anything can happen on the day. So, I am confident in myself, I believe when it is necessary, I can pull something together just like I did with this last throw. It's something I have been doing consistently all season, so anything is possible," Campbell added.
Brazil’s Darlan Romani headlines the finalist with a big season’s best of 22.37m. The big American pair of two-time World Champion Joe Kovacs (21.59m) and Olympic Champion Ryan Crouser (21.48m) are also in the mix for the final scheduled for later this evening at 1:35pm Jamaica time.
You can catch live action of the 2023 World Athletic Championships by downloading the Sportsmax App.
Shevon recently competed on America’s Got Talent singing her original song Through the Good and the Bad to much acclaim. The story of she and her husband Jamie Nieto’s triumph over adversity after he injured his spine in an accident four years ago touched many across the globe.
Shevon, who is pregnant with the couple’s first child, expressed her gratitude to the IOC president Thomas Bach.
“Thank you to the Olympic Committee and President Thomas Bach for awarding me with the President’s Award and honouring the fight and path of an Olympian. Also, thank you to my husband Jamie Nieto for bringing out the best in me,” she said.
“Before you become an Olympian, you’re someone with a dream. Someone who believes, despite what anyone says or how small the odds are, that they can achieve their goal at being one of the world’s best.
“This task takes courage, determination, resilience, and an endless measure of fortitude. Achieving this accomplishment has helped to shape my life not only as an athlete but also as a person. This journey has prepared me for the most important race, which is life’s race. So remember this, it’s not about whether you win or lose, it’s about the lessons learned and the fight that truly makes you a champion.”
