Olympics-Athletics-Women sprinters get athletics off to an explosive start

The women 100 meter sprinters got the Tokyo Olympic athletics program off to a scintillating start on Friday as the morning heats delivered a series of scorching times to suggest even bigger things to come when the medals are at stake.

Although it was slightly surreal to hear the crack of a 100m starting pistol accompanied by virtual silence instead of the usual explosive roar, the first day of the Games' number one sport still managed to deliver something of a buzz. The varied seat colors took the visual edge off the sad sight of the huge but largely deserted stadium. And, pockets of teammates and officials, the stadium announcer and the background hum of scores of TV commentators getting loudly excited in the full spectrum of languages helped create an atmosphere.

There is always a frisson around the 100 meters and defending champion Elaine Thompson-Herah showed that she is not going to stand aside to hand a hat-trick of titles to compatriot Shelly Anne Fraser-Pryce when she posted a hugely impressive 10.82 seconds while easing up, as Fraser-Pryce was in cruise mode for 10.84. Marie-Josee Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast set an African record of 10.78 as the combination of a fast track and new spike technology suggested we might be in for something special in the final on Saturday when the men also begin their heats.

Similarly lip-smacking is the men's 400m hurdles, where a world record is widely expected in a showdown between Norway's double world champion and new record holder Karsten Warholm and his American rival Rai Benjamin, who both cruised through their opening round. "Oh, 100%. I think it'll be broken on Tuesday (in the final) and it's going to take that to win that's for sure," said American Kenneth Selmon, who also qualified for Sunday's semi-finals.

The women's 800m, right in the spotlight of the "intersex athlete" debate, looks as if it could be a great race too as the main contenders advanced from the opening round in the absence of all three banned Rio medallists. Double champion Caster Semenya the other 2016 podium pair were all ruled ineligible due to heightened testosterone levels, leaving the "level playing field" other female athletes had been demanding.

As a result, America has high hopes of a first win since 1968 and their trio of Athing Mu, Ajee Wilson, and Raevyn Rogers all looked good in progressing, as did Britain's Jemma Reekie and Keely Hodgkinson. Jamaica's Natoya Goule was the fastest qualifier for Saturday's semi-finals. If there is one thing that can usually be relied upon at the Olympics it is that Kenya will win the men's steeplechase but their charge towards a 10th successive gold might have to overcome the considerable hump of Ethiopia's 20-year-old Lamecha Girma, who posted the fastest time of a brisk qualifying session, with 8:09.83.

It was "one and done" for Sweden's world champion Daniel Stahl, who needed a single attempt to achieve the qualifying standard for the men's discus final, while Qatar's Mutaz Barshim kicked off his bid to add a high-jump gold to his silver and bronze from the last two Games with a smooth qualification. The highlight of Friday's evening session will be the men's 10,000m final, when Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei is heavily favored to add Olympic gold to his world title and world record, and the heats of the inaugural 4x400m mixed relay.