Sha’Carri Richardson waves to the crowd before her heat of the women’s 200 meters on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Sha’Carri Richardson reacts before her heat of the women’s 200 meters on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Sha’Carri Richardson gets set for her heat of the women’s 200 meters on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Gabby Thomas looks on before her heat of the women’s 200 meters on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Noah Lyles shows off his Yu-Gi-Oh! cards before his men’s 200-meter heat on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Noah Lyles looks on before his heat of the men’s 200 meters on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Noah Lyles gets set for the start of his men’s 200-meter heat on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Kenny Bednarek (left) leads his heat of the men’s 200 meters on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone leads her heat of the women’s 400-meter hurdles on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene. McLaughlin-Levrone won the heat.

Anna Cockrell competes in a heat of the women’s 400-meter hurdles on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Akala Garrett looks on before her heat of the women’s 400-meter hurdles on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Dalilah Muhammad waves to the crowd before her heat of the women’s 400-meter hurdles on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Rai Benjamin (center) leads his heat of the men’s 400-meter hurdles on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene. Benjamin won the heat.

Rai Benjamin (center) leads his heat of the men’s 400-meter hurdles on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene. Benjamin won the heat.

Cole Hocker wins a heat in the men's 5,000-meter run during the U.S. Olympic track and field trials Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Eugene. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Cole Hocker leads his heat of the men’s 5,000 meters on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene. Hocker won the heat.

Woody Kincaid and Abdihamid Nur finish a heat in the men's 5,000-meter run during the U.S. Olympic track and field trials Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Eugene. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Runners compete in the second heat of the men’s 5,000 meters on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Runners compete in the first heat of the men’s 5,000 meters on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Kaylee Mitchell of Bowerman Track Club competes in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase final on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene. Mitchell finished fifth.

Runners navigate the water jump during the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase final on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Valarie Allman celebrates during the women’s discus final on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene. Allman won the event.

Valarie Allman poses for a photo in front of a discus rack on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Valarie Allman competes in the women's discus throw final during the U.S. Olympic track and field trials Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Eugene. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Third-place finisher Veronica Fraley (left) and second-place finisher Jayden Ulrich sign autographs after the women’s discus final on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Sinclaire Johnson looks on before her heat of the women’s 1,500 meters on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Elise Cranny competes in a heat of the women’s 1,500 meters on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Heather MacLean leads a heat of the women’s 1,500 meters on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Sadie Engelhardt (from left), Gracie Hyde and Anna Gibson look on before their heat of the women's 1,500 meters on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Teagan Schein-Becker competes in a heat of the women’s 1,500 meters on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Grant Holloway competes in a semifinal heat of the men’s 110-meter hurdles on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Grant Holloway wins a men's 110-meter hurdles semifinal during the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Eugene. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Freddie Crittenden looks on before his semifinal heat in the men’s 110-meter hurdles on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

JuVaughn Harrison clears a bar in men’s high jump qualifying on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

JuVaughn Harrison reacts after clearing a bar in men’s high jump qualifying on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Winner Bryce Hoppel (right) and runner-up Hobbs Kessler high-five after their heat of the men’s 800 meters on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Winner Bryce Hoppel (right) and runner-up Hobbs Kessler react after their heat of the men’s 800 meters on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Isaiah Harris looks on after finishing second in his heat of the men’s 800 meters on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Luciano Fiore lies on the track after his heat of the men’s 800 meters on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Charles Jones looks on before a heat of the men’s 800 meters on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Twanisha Terry looks on before her heat of the women’s 200 meters on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Twanisha Terry looks on before her heat of the women’s 200 meters on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Twanisha Terry looks on before her heat of the women’s 200 meters on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

A fan blows bubbles in the stands on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

EUGENE — Sha’Carri Richardson ran the fastest time and former University of Oregon star Jenna Prandini advanced during the opening round of the women’s 200 meters Thursday at the Olympic trials at Hayward Field.

Richardson, who on Saturday won the 100, ran 21.99 seconds, the only runner of the four first-round heats to break 22 seconds. Prandini, a two-time Olympian, finished second in her heat.

Among others to advance to Friday’s semifinals were Gabby Thomas, the reigning USATF champion, Abby Steiner, the 2022 national champion, and Ducks senior Jadyn Mays.

Richardson was an easy winner of her heat, beating runner-up Steiner by three-tenths of a second. Thomas ran 22.11, the second fastest time of the heats.

Prandini, on the U.S. 200 team for the 2016 and 2021 Olympics, was largely mindful of a good finish to land a better lane for the semifinals. Prandini was assigned lane 8 for Thursday’s heat.

“The most important thing is to get a good lane to set us up to get through to the final,” Prandini said. “Lane 8, you’re kind of running blind a little bit. My goal (tonight) was to run a really hard curve, come off the curve and remain smooth.”

Noah Lyles shows off his Yu-Gi-Oh! cards before his men’s 200-meter heat on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene.

In men’s 200 qualifying, Noah Lyles picked up where he left off by winning his heat in 20.10 seconds, the day’s fastest time. Lyles already pocketed the 100-meter title at the trials.

“I felt really smooth, really loose,” said Lyles, U.S. record-holder in the 200. “It’s a little harder to come back in the 200 and have that explosive aggressiveness in the first round.”

Lyles said the plan was to come around the turn “and get a feel, map out the lane and make sure when we come, not to press, but make sure we don’t give up the whole race.”

Not to worry. Lyles said the race was close to perfect for him.

“The goal was to run anywhere from 20.9 to 20.10,” he said. “And that’s what we accomplished today.”

Former University of Oregon star Kyree King also moved into Friday’s semifinals with a time of 20.50, 12th fastest.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone leads her heat of the women’s 400-meter hurdles on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene. McLaughlin-Levrone won the heat.

World record-holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was in a class by herself in first-round qualifying of the women’s 400 hurdles.

McLaughlin-Levrone got out fast and never was challenged while winning the first heat in 53.07. Deonca Bookman was a distant second in the heat in 56.25. McLaughlin-Levrone’s time also was fastest overall. Anna Cockrell had the second-best time of 54.71.

McLaughlin-Levrone did not appear afterward in the interview area.

Veteran Dalilah Muhammad, the 2016 Olympic silver medalist, won her heat in 55.51, and then said that this would be her last Olympic trials.

Muhammad, 34, said she hadn’t decided whether to continue beyond this season, “but this is definitely the last Olympic trials.”

She changed coaches this spring, moving from John Smith to Lawrence Johnson. Johnson had coached Muhammad earlier in her career.

“We were like, ‘Let’s see what we can do and finish this thing together,’” Muhammad said. “We started this — not at the beginning of my pro career, but the part where I got really good.”

She decided to use the first round as a gauge of her fitness. The top five finishers in each heat qualified automatically for Saturday’s semifinals.

“I would have liked to push it a little bit more,” she said. “But with it being top five, it was like, let’s just advance.”

Rai Benjamin (center) leads his heat of the men’s 400-meter hurdles on Day 7 of the U.S. Olympic track and field trials on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Hayward Field in Eugene. Benjamin won the heat.

Rai Benjamin began his quest for an elusive gold on the world stage when the four-time national champion easily won his 400-meter hurdles heat.

Benjamin tore off to a big lead then coasted down the stretch to win one of the five opening round heats. Other heat winners were Chris Robinson, Caleb Dean, Trevor Bassitt and C.J. Allen. The top runners advance to Friday’s semifinals.

The 26-year-old Benjamin has three silvers and a bronze combined at the Olympics and world championships. Six weeks ago, Benjamin ran a 46.64-second 400 hurdles in Los Angeles, the world’s fastest time this season. It was so fast, Benjamin decided not to push it and skipped the Prefontaine Classic on May 25.

“The opener was really fast, and I felt like I needed time for my body to come down from that,” Benjamin said. “Felt kind of sore after that as well; fastest (season) opener ever for me.”

Olympic track and field trials

Asked if it’ll take a world record for Benjamin to achieve his goal of Olympic gold, he smiled and said it’s a question he’s often asked.

“It’ll take something special,” Benjamin said.

Benjamin ran 49.56 seconds Thursday, but time was irrelevant to him for the opening heat. Benjamin said he shut it down around hurdle seven.

“I started looking around, see what was going on and I knew I was probably going a little too fast,” he said. “I was probably on 48, 47.5 pace. I thought, yeah, I can shut it down.”

-- Nick Daschel can be reached at 360-607-4824, ndaschel@oregonian.com or @nickdaschel.

-- Ken Goe for The Oregonian/OregonLive

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