TOKYO, Japan — Tajay Gayle, the 2019 gold medallist and Nikaoli Williams have advanced to the final of the men’s long jump after impressive qualifying in the first round at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, on Monday.

Gayle led all qualifiers with 8.28m (0.4m/s), and Williams jumped 8.15m (1.0m/s), the exact qualifying mark, both coming in the third round. However, national champion and World Indoor medallist Carey McLeod failed to make it into the top 12.

Gayle got better with each jump, starting with 7.82m (-0.2m/s) then 8.07m (0.0m/s) in the second round after taking off well behind the board before his big jump, taking him past Spain’s Lester Lescay, who had a season’s best 8.21m (0.8m/s) in the second round.

Williams, who won the NACAC gold medal in August after replacing McLeod in the team, booked his spot in the final on his third attempt as his previous best of 7.89m in the second round would have left him well short. McLeod, who had fouled his first attempt, as Williams also did, managed only 7.86m (-0.6m/s), good only for 20th overall.

— Paul A Reid