Paris Olympics: Track star Bree Masters elated after becoming the first Australian woman in 24 years to qualify for Olympic 100m semi-finals

Bree Masters has followed in the wake of the great Sha’Carri Richardson to qualify for the semi-finals of the 100 metres at the Olympic Games, becoming the first Australian woman to qualify in 24 years.

The 29-year-old Masters, who lined up alongside the reigning world champion from the United States on lane seven, finished strongly to take the third and final automatic qualifying spot in Friday’s opening heat in 11.26 seconds.

American superstar Richardson won with a time of 10.94, the fourth fastest time ever, ahead of the semi-finals on Saturday.

Overall, it was a mixed opening day at the Stade de France for the Australians.

Gold contenders Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson, together with new world record holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh from Ukraine, effortlessly completed the high jump qualifications.

Rose Davies was rewarded for her excellent tactical display in her 5000m heat, finishing third in 15:00.86 to secure a place in her first world final on Wednesday.

It was another top year for Davies: in May she broke Jessica Hull’s national record.

Teenager Claudia Hollingsworth was an impressive second in her 800m heat to secure a place in the semi-finals, but compatriots Abbey Caldwell and Catriona Bisset will have to join them in the repechage round on Saturday.

Commonwealth champions Olli Hoare, Stewart McSweyn and Adam Spencer were all put through to the repechage of the men’s 1500 metres.

Ash Maloney, bronze medalist at the Tokyo Games, survived only three events of the decathlon before succumbing to an adductor injury.

Masters couldn’t believe her luck when she became the first Australian female sprinter since Melinda Gainsford-Taylor at the 2000 Sydney Games to reach the semi-finals of the 100 metres at the Olympic Games.

“My only goal here was to have fun and try to get to the semi-finals and perform as well as possible,” she said.

‘I achieved my best performance of the season and now I hope to have a personal best in the semi-final.’

Richardson missed the 2021 Tokyo Olympics due to a controversial month-long suspension for testing positive for marijuana.

She made her belated Olympic debut on Friday and by all accounts looked a serious contender for the gold medal.

“I wanted to race against someone who is really cool, and Sha’Carri is probably the coolest you can get,” Masters said.

“It’s not every day that you get to race against the fastest woman in the world.”

Her compatriot Ella Connolly was unfortunately eliminated in a time of 11.29.

Olyslagers and Mahuchikh were the only athletes to make it through the high jump qualifying round without any misses.

Patterson, who won gold and silver at the last two world championships, needed two attempts to clear 1.92 meters before clearing 1.95 meters for the first time.

Hollingsworth defied her younger years and ran a tactically astute race in the last of six heats of the women’s 800 meters.

With only the top three advancing directly to the semi-finals, she held second place for most of the race, crossing the finish line in a time of 1:58.77.

“I’ve probably never been so relaxed at the start line,” said Hollingsworth.

‘(Coach Craig Mottram) just said, ‘When you get there, look up, take a deep breath and then don’t look at it anymore,’ and I felt like I did exactly that.’

Hoare was one of many athletes who criticised the introduction of a repechage for all events between 200 and 1500 metres and for both hurdles in Paris, in a bid to provide broadcasters with more content.

But he was grateful to be given a second chance – along with McSweyn and Spencer – after a poor 1500m heat run.

Hoare was involved in a thrilling race with Kenyan Brian Komen, eventually finishing thirteenth in a time of 3:39.11.