EUGENE, Ore. — Allyson Felix still has work to do to earn her trip to Beijing.

If things keep going the way they did yesterday, it won't be hard work.

Felix coasted to a victory in her 200-meter preliminary heat, leaving her three races away from earning the Olympic spot that pretty much seems preordained.

She would already be in had she finished in the top three last weekend in the 100, but that didn't happen, so she must get there in her best event.

She won her heat in 22.68 seconds, wiping the brow below her white headband when it was over, then heading quickly off the track. Quarterfinals and semis are today, and finals are tomorrow.

"I've been waiting for this moment since I was a child, so it's good to get it started," Felix said.

Joining Felix in the next round will be all the usual suspects: 100 trials champion Muna Lee, Lauryn Williams, Marshevet Hooker, Carmelita Jeter.

On the men's side, Tyson Gay returned to the track for the first time since his wind-aided 9.68-second win in the 100 last weekend. He eased to a win in the 200.

He practically jogged to the finish, looking around him for anyone who might be closing in. Nobody was as he finished in 20.43.

"It feels good," Gay said. "I just needed that first run to get rid of the cobwebs. It felt pretty good and relaxing. That's about the time I wanted to run."

In the 5,000 women's finals, Kara Goucher finished first and Shalane Flanagan came in third, giving both a chance at a double in Beijing. Each already had qualified in the 10,000. Jen Rhines, who just turned 34, earned the other spot.

A.G. Kruger won the hammer throw with a mark of 248 feet, 9 inches.

The final event of the night was the men's 10,000. Defending national champion Abdi Abdirahman won in 27 minutes, 41.89 seconds. Galen Rupp and Jorge Torres also qualified.