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 come home in the footsteps of the great Sha’Carri Richardson to become the first Australian woman in 24 years to qualify for the Olympic 100m semi-finals.

Alongside reigning world champion America in lane seven, the 29-year-old Masters finished strongly to claim the third and final automatic qualifying spot in the opening heat on Friday in 11.26 seconds.

American superstar Richardson won in 10.94, the fourth-fastest time overall, ahead of Saturday’s semi-finals.

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

Gold medal hopefuls Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson easily advanced through the high jump rankings alongside new world record holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine.

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

It continued a career-best year for Davies, who broke Jessica Hull’s national record in May.

Teenager Claudia Hollingsworth produced an impressive second place in her 800m heat to claim a place in the semi-finals, but fellow Australians Abbey Caldwell and Catriona Bisset will have to fall back for the repechage round on Saturday.

Commonwealth champion Olli Hoare, Stewart McSweyn and Adam Spencer have been selected for the men’s 1500m repechage round.

And Tokyo Games bronze medallist Ash Moloney lasted just three disciplines in the decathlon before succumbing to an adductor injury.

Masters was all smiles after becoming the first Australian sprinter since Melinda Gainsford-Taylor at the 2000 Sydney Games to reach the Olympic 100m semi-finals.

“My only goal coming here was to have fun and try to get to the semi-final and also run as well as possible,” he said.

“I ran my best race of the season and now I hope to achieve a personal best in the semi-final.”

Richardson missed the 2021 Tokyo Games due to a controversial one-month suspension for a positive marijuana test.

In her belated Olympic debut on Friday, she looked like a serious gold medal contender.

“I wanted to compete against someone really great and Sha’Carri is probably the best you can get,” Masters said.

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

Fellow Australian Ella Connolly was unlucky and was eliminated in 11.29.

Olyslagers and Mahuchikh were the only athletes who managed to pass the high jump qualification round without fail.

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

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

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

“I’ve probably never felt more relaxed on a start line,” Hollingsworth said.

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

Hoare was one of many athletes to criticise the introduction of a repechage round for all events between 200m and 1500m and both hurdles in Paris to provide more content for broadcasters.

But he was grateful to be given a second chance, alongside McSweyn and Spencer, after a poor 1500m qualifying race.

Hoare tangled with Kenyan Brian Komen in a tricky race before faltering and finishing 13th in 3:39.11.