Elton Tucker, Assistant Sports Editor
Usain Bolt of Jamaica cruises to victory in the men's 200 metres quarter-final heats at the 11th IAAF World Athletics Championships in Osaka yesterday. - Reuters
OSAKA, Japan:
NOVLENE WILLIAMS has been the fastest woman in every round of the women's 400 metres, and will be seeking another command performance in today's final to give Jamaica its second gold medal at the 11th IAAF World Championships in Osaka.
Displaying supreme confidence and steely nerves, Williams turned back Mexico's former world champion, Ana Guevara, with some amount of disdain in the opening round, clocking 50.21 seconds. She went up a gear in the semi-finals to again blow away the Mexican, winning by more than five metres in a season-best 49.66. Guevara was well back in 50.19.
Lower time in final
"I hope to lower that time in the final," the University of Florida graduate said on Monday, suggesting that she is in top form and could go below her personal best of 49.63, and perhaps challenge Lorraine Fenton's national mark of 49.30.
Williams' main rivals will be Britain's Nicola Sanders and Christine Ohuruogu, the winners of the other two semi-finals in personal best times of 49.77 and 50.16, respectively. Ohuruogu defeated Williams to take the Commonwealth Games gold in Melbourne last year but was later suspended for 12 months after missing three drug tests. She resumed competition three weeks ago.
Hurdler Delloreen Ennis-London, a gold medallist at the recent Pan American Games in Brazil, will also be looking to improve on her silver medal of two years ago when she competes in today's 100m hurdles final along with Vonette Dixon, who clocked a personal best 12.65 yesterday to reach her third final in the past four championships.
Mcfarlane's defeat
In yesterday's men's 400m hurdles final Danny McFarlane found lane nine difficult to negotiate and ended up fifth in 48.59. The gold was won by American Kerron Clement in a world leading 47.61 with former champion Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic second in a season-best 48.01. Pole Marek Plawgo set a national record 48.12 in taking the bronze medal.
McFarlane admitted he was stumped by the outside lane.
"Basically, it was tougher than I thought it would be," he said. He added, "The 'middle four' runners could see their positions better than me and I think that's what made the difference."
The women's 400m hurdles semi-finals produced a surprise finalist in Jamaica's Nickiesha Wilson. Competing in her first World Championships, the Louisiana State University student and Alpha old girl not only made the final but she ran a personal best 53.97 to take second in the third of three semi-finals. For her it is already mission accomplished and a medal would be a big bonus.
"My aim was to come here and do a personal best and also make the final, and I have done both," she said.
National champion Melaine Walker (54.54) finished third in semi-final two and was eliminated along with Kaliese Spencer, who was eighth in the first semi-final. The other semi-final winners were Australia's Jana Rawlinson, who took semi-final one in 53.57, and world record holder Yuliya Pechenkina of Russia, 53.82.
Usain Bolt, the national champion and record holder, romped the first two rounds of the 200m. Little-known Greek Anastasios Gousis got the nod at the line in 20.11 with Bolt second in 20.12 in the first round. Later in the day Bolt clocked 20.13 in the second round to win his heat over American Wallace Spearmon, 20.26.
Marvin Anderson and Chris Williams also advanced to the last 16. Anderson was second in a personal best 20.13 to 100m gold medallist Tyson Gay (20.08) in the third heat. Williams clocked 20.40 for fourth in heat one behind another American, Rodney Martin (20.25).
