Lolo Jones of the USA eases through to the 100m hurdles semi final (© Getty Images)
There was a big question mark on World Indoor record holder Susanna Kallur’s health before the opening round of the women’s 100m Hurdles here in Beijing.
The Swedish record holder may have looked a bit rusty in what was her first competition since 6 June but she definitely proved that she can be in the fight for the medals as she clocked the fastest time of the opening round.
Kallur set off to a somewhat conservative start, which considering the injury problems she has been suffering from March was to be expected, but she built up enough speed to catch up with Spanish record holder Josephine Onyia, a reputed fast starter who had beaten Kallur into second at the Berlin Golden League meeting.
Onyia and Kallur dipped to the line to secure the two automatic qualifiers as a photo finish was required to determine the heat winner. Onyia was given the heads-up as both were credited the same time which would eventually prove the fastest from all five first-round races.
Nevit Yanit of Turkey and Aurelia Trywianska of Poland were next across the line in 12.94 and 12.98 respectively and both eventually made it through to tomorrow’s semi finals as two of six fastest losers.
US champion Lolo Jones made the biggest impression winning heat 4 in what was a very relaxed 12.71. An impressive winner at the US Olympic Trials in a wind aided 12.29 Jones blasted from the blocks and got into a devastating rhythm between the obstacles. The 26-year-old World Indoor champion took into her wake former World Junior champion Anay Tejada a comfortable second with Reina Flor Okori of France also advancing with 12.98.
The remaining three heats turned into a display of Jamaican hurdling technique as Vonette Dixon, Delloreen Ennis-London and Brigitte Foster-Hylton respectively took heats 2, 3 and 5.
A world silver medallist in 2003 Foster-Hylton who had to miss out on last year’s World Championships in Osaka through injury clocked a convincing 12.69 despite wearing very visible pink strapping on the back of both legs. Running on the outside, Foster-Hylton was not affected by the heavy fall of Guinea’s Fatmata Fofanah who smashed into the first barrier unlike US Trials runner-up Dawn Harper who was running in the lane adjacent to the African runner. Harper was nevertheless unchallenged in second in 12.73.
32-year-old Dixon was also a fast heat winner in 12.69 preceding fast starter Priscilla Lopes-Schliep (12.75), Damu Cherry (12.92) and Carolin Nytra (12.95). Lopes-Schliep who fell in the heats at the World Indoor Championships in Valencia set off to a blasting start but Dixon proved a much stronger finish. Third at the US Olympic Trials, Cherry never looked into contention and with the quality of hurdling talent which will line-up in the semi finals she certainly needs to up the tempo to make it past the second round.
Commonwealth champion Ennis-London was the slowest heat winner tonight but we shouldn’t give that piece of information too much importance. The winner of the Paris Golden League meeting certainly has enough experience to judge the rounds well. Behind her, 21-year-old former World Youth champion Sally McLellan who improved the Australian and Oceania record twice this year clocked 12.83. The Australian is reportedly suffering from back injury but didn’t seem to be affected in what was her first race at an Olympic Games.
In third British champion Sarah Claxton also advanced in 12.97 and will be one of seven Europeans to line-up in the semi finals.
Laura Arcoleo for the IAAF
