Hinchliffe, Hughes and Lyles progress in 100m

Great Britain’s Louie Hinchliffe edged out American world champion Noah Lyles to qualify for the men’s 100m semi-finals at Paris 2024, alongside team-mate Zharnel Hughes.

Making his Olympics debut, 22-year-old Hinchliffe clocked 9.98 seconds to take an impressive victory over Lyles (10.04) as both qualified automatically from their heat.

“It felt great but the job’s not done. I don’t want to get too ahead of myself,” British champion Hinchliffe told BBC Sport.

World bronze medallist Hughes will also contest the semi-finals on Sunday, held before the final on the same night, running 10.03 for third in the final race of the morning session.

However, British team-mate Jeremiah Azu was disqualified for a false start in the opening heat – a decision the 23-year-old unsuccessfully appealed against.

The women’s 100m semi-finals, featuring Team GB’s Dina Asher-Smith, Daryll Neita and Imani Lansiquot, take place from 18:50 BST on Saturday before the final at 20:20.

Hinchliffe achieved a fairytale 100m qualification for Paris 2024 in a remarkable breakout season in which his progress has surprised not just himself, but also American sprint icon Carl Lewis, his coach and nine-time Olympic champion.

But in his first outing on the purple track at a raucous Stade de France, the Briton showed he means business in Paris.

Since approaching Lewis last August, Hinchliffe has lowered his personal best from 10.17 to 9.95, run a wind-assisted 9.84 for the second-fastest all-condition 100m in British history, and become the first European man to win the prestigious NCAA Championships.

The narrative from both athlete and coach has been to focus on reaching the final in Paris, and Hinchliffe treated the heat as if it was the medal race, storming through the line to record a statement win over gold medal favourite Lyles.

Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson – the fastest man in the world this year in 9.77 – won his heat in 10.00.

Compatriot Oblique Seville, also just 23, and Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala were among the other sprinters to take opening wins at Stade de France.

Hughes, who false-started in the Tokyo Olympic final three years ago, qualified behind American former world champion Fred Kerley (9.97) and world silver medallist Letsile Tebogo, of Botswana (10.01).

“Lazy start because the false start threw me off a bit but I’m OK – I’m through the round,” Hughes told BBC Sport.

“Unfortunately I had an injury just last month. London [Diamond League] was my first 100m race of the season so I’m using the rounds to get sharper. I’m fine, I’m not worried about anything.”

Reigning Olympic champion Armand Duplantis led the qualifiers for the men’s pole vault final with first-time clearances of 5.60m and 5.75m.