UPDATE-- Powell ran another 6.44 in the semis, but he could only manage silver in the final, as 20-year-old Trayvon Bromell ran 6.47 to become the youngest 60m World Indoor champion in history. The following story details Powell's prelim round, as well as the men's 3k and women's 1500m preliminary rounds. 

PORTLAND - The men’s 60m is officially on World record watch heading into the semis and finals after the 6.44 stunner that Asafa Powell dropped in his preliminary section on Friday in Portland.

The 33-year-old Jamaican eased up just ahead of line, and still managed to run the 10th fastest 60m in World history, taking a healthy chunk out of his previous 6.49 PR and establishing the Jamaican record to boot. The time is unbelievable not only because it happened in the first round, but also because no man had run that fast since 2001.



Here was Powell in the immediate aftermath:



As always, Ato Boldon summed it up best:

@mauricegreene I think your indoor 60m WR is gone tonight. Watch @officialasafa 6.44 shutting down in round one and see if you agree.

— Ato Boldon (@AtoBoldon) March 18, 2016

 
Maurice Greene’s 6.39 World record will be under siege later tonight as Powell moves on to the semi-final, beginning at 6:00pm PT. The three Americans— Trayvon Bromell, Mike Rodgers, and Marvin Bracy— all ran matching 6.57s in separate sections to calmly advance to the next round, but it appears they’ll need to be on another level entirely in the final to come close to Powell.

Hill and Chelimo Smoothly Into Final As Defending Champ Ndiku Makes Things Interesting

Defending champion Caleb Ndiku made sure to add at least a little drama to the men’s 3,000m prelims, but when all was said and done, every favorite advanced to the final. Included in that heap were both Americans— Ryan Hill and Paul Chelimo— who both earned auto qualifiers to glide into Sunday.

2 Americans advance to men's 3,000m final! @RyanHillNCState & @Paulchelimo we'll see ya Sunday pic.twitter.com/3bqzsPnFlJ

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) March 18, 2016

 
The Kenyan Ndiku went tumbling down to the track with just over 800m to go in heat 2 after a collision in tight traffic, but the tactical pace allowed him to easily get back up and rejoin the leaders. The 23-year-old still had to rely on a time qualifier to advance as he was just 5th, but his 7:53.21 was good enough to nab the first small "q" on Friday morning in Portland.

Outside of Ndiku’s theatrics, there was little to be surprised about in the two sections. 18-year-old Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha— fourth in the World Champs 5k last summer and the Diamond League winner in 2015— took heat one in 7:51.01, with his 54-second last 400 an impressive close to an expectedly slow race early.  

Kenyan Augustine Choge (7:51.77), Djibouti’s Youssouf Bachir (7:52.08), and US champ Ryan Hill (7:52.13) were the other auto qualifiers in the first section, with Aussie Brett Robinson taking the lone at-large berth out of the prelim (7:53.51). Cam Levins was sixth in 7:54.81 and did not qualify.

Hill afterwards- 'Easier than I anticipated':

 
Heat 2 was similarly tactical to its predecessor, with Morocco’s Abdalaati Iguider running a dominant last 400 to win in 7:51.65, nearly a second clear of runner-up Isiah Koech of Kenya. The 28-year-old Iguider has medaled in the last three World indoor championships in the 1500m, including a World title in 2012, and will be a major threat for gold on Sunday. Considering his success in the shorter event, it was a bit surprising to see Iguider in the 3k on Friday, as just an hour difference between the finals makes the double pretty much impossible.

So, Iguider’s appearance on Friday is great news for 1500m medal contenders like Matthew Centrowitz. 

In his first time at a global championship, US runner up Paul Chelimo ran like a vet to finish third in section two in 7:53.00. The four other men to qualify: Lee Emanuel, Ndiku, Yenew Alamirew, with Canadian/ Bowerman TC athlete Mo Ahmed grabbing the last spot to the final with his 7:53.66 seventh place finish.

Paul Chelimo:

ICYMI: men's 3,000m final #Portland2016 pic.twitter.com/FKvtAb0DAm

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) March 18, 2016

Hassan Enters 1500 Final As Favorite, B-Mart Advances

 
With her 3:56.05 outdoor PR and a smooth victory in section 2 of the women’s 1500 prelims, the Netherlands' Sifan Hassan heads to tomorrow’s final as the favorite. Her 4:07.28 was the fastest qualifier of the morning on Friday.

The strongest threat to the 23-year-old Dutchwoman should come from the other section winner, Dawit Seyaum of Ethiopia, who holds the 4:00.28 World lead. Hassan has beaten the Ethiopian four out of five times in their career head-to-head match ups, so the upper hand is hers as the final looms.

Hassan and Seyaum were third and fourth, respectively, in the World Championship 1500 final last summer. 

US champ Brenda Martinez finished third in heat 3 in 4:09.75 to auto on to the final, while fellow American Cory McGee did not advance.

Martinez said she feels confident heading into final after controlled prelim:



Martinez will have her hands full in her pursuit of a medal tomorrow, with both Hassan and Seyaum, and the Ethiopians Axumawit Embaye and Gudaf Tsegay, sure to be stiff tests.