Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport Editor

Usain Bolt, track and field's new 'Superman', poses after winning the men's 200-metre final yesterday. - Charles Pitt/Freelance Photographer

BEIJING:

VETERAN SPRINT hurdler Maurice Wignall has added his voice to the chorus of Jamaican athletes who have been saying that Usain Bolt's performance here has helped to inspire the rest of the team to new heights at the Olympic Games.

"I think the whole camp has been feeding off everybody. We did not expect anything like this and when something like this happens it does not shock you it motivates you," the 32-year-old Wignall said.

"We did not expect the times that they ran or the placings. We are very happy for it and we just hope we can produce more," he said.

Wignall was speaking after he, and Richard Phillips, reached today's 110 metres hurdles final. It marked the first time Jamaica had qualified two men for a sprint hurdles final at an Olympics or World Championships.

A dip

Wignall, who was fourth in the final four years ago and missed bronze by a whisker, said his experience worked well for him in the semi-finals as he dipped at the right time to grab fourth from China's Dongpeng Shi by two-hundredths of a second.

"I knew if I kept my composure it would be easier to dip at the line when everybody else would be shuffling. I thought it would be like a dive and thankfully I had worked on a lot of that in practice and it came in handy today," Wignall said. He clocked 13.40 seconds to Shi's 13.42. The semi-final went to American David Oliver in 13.31. Phillips also said the experience of Athens four years ago helped him.

"Reaching the final here means a lot to me. This is the biggest track meet you will ever see in this universe and to be in the top eight that's just great. Four years ago I decided to run fast every round but that did not help me. By the semi-finals my legs were dead. This time I decided to take it round by round and in the semi-finals try to go as fast as I can," an obviously elated Phillips said.

The 25-year-old national champion, who punched the air after crossing the line said the lane draw, where he had world record holder Dayron Robles of Cuba next to him, helped.

The chase

Jamaican hurdler Richard Phillips celebrates reaching the final of the 110m hurdles. - Charles Pitt/Freelance Photographer

"I always focus on my own lane but when I saw him get out I just decided to just try to catch him as best as I could and I think that helped to push me further from the rest of the guys behind me," Phillips said. Robles won the heat easily in 13.12, Phillips clocked a season best 13.43 for fourth.

Like the 100m, three women will also run in the women's 200m final this morning (Ja time) and Jamaica could pick up at least another medal. The final will include defending champion Veronica Campbell-Brown, who won semi-final one in 22.19, and World Champion Allyson Felix who took semi-final two in 22.33. Kerron Stewart (22.29) and Sherone Simpson, 22.50, were second and third respectively in the two heats.

Stewart said she was conserving her energy for today's final.

"For the semi-finals I just worked on how I want to run the final," Stewart said.

Jamaica's Veronica Campbell-Brown (right) and Kerron Stewart comfortably complete their 200-metre semi-final yesterday. - Charles Pitt/Freelance Photographer