Summary Gay and Gatlin focused on getting through to the next round.
DES MOINES (AFP) - Tyson Gay and Justin Gatlin made it safely into the semi-finals of the men's 100m on Thursday at the US athletics championships, a first step to a possible world title showdown with Usain Bolt.
On a windy evening on the Drake University track, Gay and Gatlin focused on getting through to the next round.
Gay clocked 10.28 seconds running into a headwind of 1.6m/sec for the fourth-fastest time in the first round, while Gatlin settled for the ninth-fastest time of 10.37 in a heat run into a headwind of 2.9m/sec.
Dentarius Locke, of Florida State University, notched the fastest time, winning his heat in 10.19sec, with Jeff Demps clocked in the same time in finishing second in that heat.
"I feel good," said Gay, who won three gold medals at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka but hasn't claimed gold in a major international competition since as he battled a series of injuries.
"I didn't really have a great start. I wanted to get the kinks out, get the nerves out."
Gay's 9.86sec in the 100m at Kingston on May 4 is the fastest time in the world this year and the US veteran is hoping now that he's finally healthy he can challenge six-time Olympic gold medallist Bolt and Bolt's fellow Jamaican sprinters at the World Championships in Moscow on August 10-18.
Gatlin, who handed Bolt a rare defeat in the 100m at the Rome Diamond League meeting on June 6, has the same goal in mind.
He, too, said making it safely into Friday's semi-finals -- to be followed later Friday by the final -- was the priority. The top three from the final book world championship berths.
"It felt good to come out here, shake the legs out a little bit and get ready for the next race," said Gatlin, who has served a drugs ban since winning Olympic 100m gold in 2004.
Carmelita Jeter, the reigning women's 100m world champion, opted out of the meet entirely as she nurses a right thigh injury, although she'll still be eligible to defend her world title thanks to her IAAF bye, a USA Track and Field spokesperson said.
In her absence, Barbara Pierre led the way into the semi-finals, winning her heat in 11.18sec with a headwind of 1.9m/sec. Octavius Freeman was second-fastest, followed by Jessica Young, Charonda Williams, Muna Lee and Jeneba Tarmoh.
Among the finals on the opening day, 2012 Olympic silver medallist Galen Rupp won the men's 10,000m in 28:47.32. Dathan Ritzenhein was second in 28:49.66 and Chris Derrick third in 27:31.38.
Shalane Flanagan won the women's 10,000m in 32:43.20. Jordan Hasay was second in 32:17.34 and Tara Erdmann third in 32:24.16.
Omar Craddock pulled off an upset in the men's triple jump, winning with a leap of 17.15m ahead of double Olympic medallist Will Claye.
Claye, who won triple jump silver and long jump bronze in London, was second in 17.04m.
The field was without reigning triple jump world and Olympic champion Christian Taylor, who is slated to compete in the long jump this week.
Olympic 400m champion Sanya Richards-Ross, who made a belated return to competition this season after toe surgery in September, advanced to the 400 semi-finals with the second-fastest time behind Francena McCorory.
Richards-Ross said she still has pain in her toe, and she acknowledged that she'll have stiff competition from McCorory, Natasha Hastings and University of Illinois stand-out Ashley Spencer to make the top three in Saturday's final.
LaShawn Merritt, who has battled back from a doping ban since winning 2008 Olympic 400m gold, made it into the 400m semi-finals on schedule with the fourth-fastest time in the heats.
Jeremy Wariner, the 2004 Olympic 400m gold medallist and a two time world champion, failed to advance, posting the slowest time in the heats of 48.04sec.
