Allyson Felix and Susanthika Jayasinghe ease through their first-round 200m heat (© Getty Images)
This event has been billed as the battle between World champion Allyson Felix and Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown but with a soft qualification of the top four from each heat plus the eight next fastest it was never going to provide any real clues for the rest of the competition.
It was a nice and easy opening for Felix, who coasted to heat one victory in 23.02. The pre-event favourite from the USA rounded the bend with a slight advantage from Susanthika Jayasinghe before striding out to a comfortable morning outing.
Jayasinghe, the 2000 Olympic bronze medallist from Sri Lanka, was 0.02 behind and also advanced.
Veronica Campbell-Brown, the defending champion, also found the exercise of qualifying for the next round very straight forward.
The Jamaican, who surprisingly missed out of qualifying for her national team in the 100m, put in the hard work over the first half of the race before easing to a heat five win in 23.04 - 0.02 in front of Kadiatou Camara of Mali.
Muna Lee, of the USA, tried to run the disappointment of finishing fifth in the 100m out of her system and topped the qualifiers for tonight's quarter finals to win heat two in an impressive 22.71.
In a high quality race, former European champion Muriel Hurtis-Houairi of France was 0.01 behind Lee with Cydonie Mothersill of the Cayman Islands third in 22.76.
Russia's European Under-23 champion Yuliya Chermoshanskaya also dipped below 23 seconds in 22.98 to take the fourth automatic qualifying position.
Belgium's European champion Kim Gevaert, who has struggled with injury this season and failed to progress beyond the semi-finals of the 100m, did not start in heat two.
Marshavet Hooker, the third place finisher at the US Trials, comfortably landed victory in heat three in 23.07. Running from lane three she finished a stride clear of 2001 World 200m champion Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie (23.22) of the Bahamas.
Heat four was taken by Asian Games champion Roqaya Al-Gassra. Running in her familiar eye-catching white body suit and hijab she powered down the home straight to record 22.81. UK champion Emily Freeman qualified second in 22.95 with Olympic 100m silver medallist, Kerron Stewart of Jamaica, grabbing third in 23.03.
Natallia Pygyda of the Ukraine was the surprise winner of heat six in 22.90. Pygyda, who was second in the European Cup 400m in June, finished one place ahead of Jamaican Sherone Simpson, who shared the silver medal with Stewart in the women's 100m on Sunday night. Simpson ran 22.94.
Steve Landells for the IAAF
