W-400 semi - Sanya Richards 51.32 is fourth in her
heat and does not advance.
Dragila places fourth in PV; hurdlers win in rounds
from Jill Geer, Director of Communications, USA Track & Field
PARIS 8/25/03 – Close calls and near-misses plagued Team USA’s
athletes in final events Monday at the 2003 World Outdoor Track &
Field Championships, but America’s female hurdlers showed strength
in their numbers and performances.
Two-time defending world champion Stacy Dragila tied for fourth in
the women’s pole vault with a best clearance of 4.55m/14-11.
Indoor world record holder Svetlana Feofanova of Russia became the
first woman other than Dragila to win the world outdoor title, clearing
4.75m/15-7. Annika Becker of Germany was second at 4.70m/15-5, with
outdoor world record holder Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia third at 4.65m/15-3.
The men’s 100 meters stayed true to prognosticators’
views that it was anyone’s race. Emerging as the winner was
Kim Collins of St. Kitts & Nevis, who ran 10.07 seconds to edge
world junior record holder Darrel Brown of Trinidad in second (10.08)
and Darren Campbell of Great Britain in third (10.08). Dwain Chambers
of Great Britain was fourth, also in 10.08, followed by Americans
Tim Montgomery (Cary, N.C.) in fifth (10.11) and Bernard Williams
(Miramar, Fla.) in sixth 10.13.
In the men’s 100 semis, Williams had won semi 1 in 10.11, followed
by Montgomery. Collins, who went on to win the final, was the final
qualifier from semi 1 by placing fourth in 10.15. Three-time defending
champion Maurice Greene slowed in the final stages of semi 2 after
feeling “a pop” in his quadriceps approximately halfway
through the race and finished eighth in 10.37.
In other finals, Jamie Nieto (Chula Vista, Calif.) placed seventh
in the men’s high jump at 2.29m/7-6 and Matt Hemingway (Denver,
Colo.) was 12th at 2.25m/7-4.5. Jacques Freitag of Russia won the
competition with a season-best clearance of 2.35m/7-8.5
Gail Devers (Lawrenceville, Ga.), Jenny Adams (Champaign, Ill.) and
Miesha McKelvy (San Diego, Calif.) all won their heats in Monday’s
quarterfinals of the women’s 100m hurdles. Adams posted the
fastest time of the three in winning the third heat in 12.74 seconds;
Devers won heat 5 in 12.76; and McKelvy took heat 1 in 12.94. Defending
champion Anjanette Kirkland, coming back from giving birth to a daughter
on May 4, placed seventh in heat 2 in 13.80.
Kenta Bell (Chula Vista, Calif.) was sixth in the men’s triple
jump with a mark of 17.08m/56-0.5 in a competition that was won easily
by the heavily favored Christian Olsson of Sweden (17.72m/58-1.75).
Suzy Powell (Modesto, Calif.) placed ninth in the women’s discus
throw with a best of 59.86m/196-5. The event was won by Irina Yatchenko
of Belarus with 67.32m/220-10.
In qualifying rounds on Monday, Sandra Glover (Sugar Land, Texas)
advanced to Thursday’s final of the women’s 400 meters.
The four-time U.S. champion ran a season’s best time of 53.90
seconds in the first semi to finish second behind Jana Pittman of
Australia (53.77). World record holder Yuliya Pechonkina of Russia
had the fastest time, winning the second semifinal in 53.57. Joanna
Hayes was fifth in Glover’s race in 55.35 and did not advance,
and 2003 U.S. champion Raasin McIntosh (Austin, Texas) hit the fifth
hurdle in the second race and was carried off the track with an injured
right quadriceps.
Sanya Richards (Austin, Texas) missed qualifying for the final of
the women’s 400m meters, placing fifth in heat 1 in 51.32. Demetria
Washington (Columbia, S.C.) and DeeDee Trotter (Knoxville, Tenn.)
were fourth (51.31) and fifth (51.68), respectively, in heat 2 and
also did not advance. Jason Lunn (Redwood City, Calif.) placed 10th
in his semifinal heat of the men’s 1,500 meters in 3:41.71 and
did not advance.
Monday event previews
from Jill Geer, Director of Communications, USA Track & Field
FINALS
Women’s pole vault
6:25 p.m.
U.S. entrants: Stacy Dragila (Phoenix, Ariz.), Mary Sauer (San Dimas,
Calif.)
THE SCOOP: Dragila is looking for her third consecutive world title
in the vault and will face the toughest competition of her World Championship
competitions. Yelena Isinbayeva owns the world outdoor record (4.82m/15-9.75),
while Svetlana Feofanova was second to Dragila in 2001 and is the
world indoor record holder (4.80m/15-9). Dragila has had an up-and-down
season, struggling since breaking the then-world indoor record March
2 at the USA Indoor Championships (5.78m/15-8.25), but in Saturday’s
qualifying she looked and felt very strong. It appears Dragila, who
has a personal best of 4.81m/15-9.25, is physically and mentally ready
for a third title. If she pulls it off, it would be the hardest-fought
championship of her storied career in an event that is getting stronger
each year. Sauer also had a strong showing in qualifying and is making
her second appearance at the World Championships. She will look to
improve on her 12th-place finish in 2001.
Men’s high jump
6:50 p.m.
U.S. entrants: Jamie Nieto (Chula Vista, Calif.), Matt Hemingway (Denver,
Colo.)
THE SCOOP: Nieto won the 2003 U.S. outdoor title and has been the
top American jumper on the European circuit this summer, meeting or
coming close to his personal best (2.30m/7-6.5) on several occasions.
It will take a new personal-best jump for Nieto to be in the top three,
but given his consistency it is possible. Hemingway has a personal
best of 2.38m/7-9.5 (indoors) from 20000 and has the top jump by an
American this year at 2.34m/7-8. Paris will be his first international
final; standing 6-7 and with some high clearances on his resume, Hemingway
will fare well if he is on form.
Men’s 100m
Semifinal 7:05 p.m., Final 10:10 p.m.
U.S. entrants: Tim Montgomery (Cary, N.C.), Bernard Williams (Miramar,
Fla.), Maurice Greene (Irvine, Calif.)
THE SCOOP: Montgomery showed glimpses of his old form in the first
two rounds of the men’s 100 meters on Sunday, while Williams
looked controlled and easy. Greene had a fantastic start in the second
round and ran his second- and third-fastest times of the year. Monday
night’s final still promises to be among the most fascinating
competitions of the meet, with Kim Collins of St. Kitts, Dwain Chambers
of Great Britain and world junior record breaker Darrel Brown of Trinidad
likely to mix it up with the Americans.
Men’s triple jump
7:55 p.m.
U.S. entrant: Kenta Bell (Chula Vista., Calif.)
THE SCOOP: With the world’s focus being on world record holder
Jonathan Edwards of Great Britain, who is retiring after the World
Outdoor Championships, and event favorite Christian Olsson of Sweden,
Bell could sneak in for a high place finish. The 2001 World University
Games Champion, Bell had the fifth-best mark in qualifying on Sunday.
He is the 2003 U.S. outdoor champion and has a personal best of 17.63m/57-10.25.
Women’s discus throw
10:20 p.m.
U.S. entrant: Suzy Powell (Modesto, Calif.)
THE SCOOP: A five-time U.S. runner up, Powell makes her first appearance
in a World Championships final, having competed in qualifying in 1997,
’99 and 2001. Powell was ranked #10 in the world in 2002 and
has a personal best of 69.44m/227-10 at La Jolla in 2002 (on an uncertified
throwing sector) and also threw 65.48m/214-10 at Fresno in 2002.
QUALIFYING ROUNDS
Women’s 400m hurdles semifinals
8:35 p.m.
U.S. entrants: Sandra Glover (Sugar Land, Texas), Raasin McIntosh
(Austin, Texas), Joanna Hayes (Los Angeles, Calif.)
THE SCOOP: Glover was 5th in both the 1999 and 2001 World Championships
and knows how to make a Worlds final. McIntosh, a University of Texas
junior and the 2003 NCAA champion, has youth on her side, while Hayes
competed in the rounds at the 1999 World Outdoors and will try to
reach her first final.
Men’s 1,500m semifinals
9:05 p.m.
U.S. entrant: Jason Lunn (Redwood City, Calif.)
THE SCOOP: Lunn is ready to run after looking strong in Saturday’s
first-round race. Lunn’s strengths – especially his strong
kick over the final 300 meters – are suited to international
racing and what is needed to advance to a final. Luck could determine
if the 2003 U.S. champion and two-time indoor champ will make the
cut. A sub-3:30 race would require him to PR by six seconds in order
to advance, but a more tactical race will suit him well.
Women’s 100m hurdles first round (quarterfinals)
9:30 p.m.
U.S. entrants: Gail Devers (Lawrenceville, Ga.), Miesha McKelvy-Jones
(Dan Diego, Calif.), Jenny Adams (Champaign, Ill.), Anjanette Kirkland
(Gainesville, Fla.)
THE SCOOP: Monday morning’s scheduled first round of the hurdles
was canceled, leaving the first races for the evening session. Team
USA fields an experienced and potent lineup that includes three-time
world champion Devers; 1999 Pan Am Games gold medalist and two-time
U.S. runner-up McKelvy-Jones; 2001 World Champs fifth-place finisher
Jenny Adams; and 2001 World indoor and outdoor champion Kirkland.
Americans went 1-2-5 in 2001 (Kirkland-Devers-Adams) and hope to fare
as well in 2003. Devers has the second-fastest time in the world this
year (12.49), with McKelvy-Jones the third-fastest athlete in the
world in 2003 (12.51), and Adams the fifth-fastest (12.67). Kirkland
had a daughter on May 4 and is starting her return to international
competition.
Paris World's 2003