The British sprinter wins comfortably in Torun in 6.55 minutes and returns to Friday night’s semi-finals and final.
It’s been 12 months since Jeremiah Azu won the world 60m title for Great Britain in Nanjing and he got his title defense off to the perfect start in Torun on Friday morning (March 20) with an easy 6.55 heat win.
“It was a good way to experience the stadium,” he said. “It was the fastest heat I’ve ever done in my life. I don’t mean to offend anyone, but it was pretty measured. I’m just back to do it again.”
The 24-year-old plans to sleep in and spend some time with his family before returning for Friday night’s semi-finals and final, where he aims to “finish the job”.
The fastest qualifier was Trayvon Bromell from the USA. winning by just one-hundredth ahead of Belgium’s Simon Verherstraeten, Jamaicans Brian Levell (6.53) and Kishan Thompson (6.56) also look good in their respective events. Jordan Anthony, also from the United States, is likely to feature on Friday night as well, clocking 6.54 to win his heat.
“I felt really good during the race. I was in the same shape I was in when I won the world title in Portland 10 years ago.
However, there was no joy for Azu’s teammate Jody Smith as he finished fourth in Anthony’s heat in 6.65.
“It’s my first time at a big event like this, so it’s a huge change from what I’m used to,” he said. “You always want to do better, but I’m really thankful for the experience. The experience is great and hopefully I can make more teams.”
