(L-R) Anastasiya Rabchenyuk of Ukraine and World Leader Lashinda Demus of the USA in action during the women's 400m hurdles heats (© Getty Images)
The women’s 400m Hurdles heats did not offer any big surprises. The qualification for the semifinals was quite easy for the big names with the first four from each heat making it automatically to the next round with the next four fastest joining them.
Heat 1 -
Jamaican Kaliese Spencer controlled the heat leading from start to finish to qualify easily in 55.12 seconds. The 22-year-old has progressed well this season and will look to enter the final later on. Spencer was eliminated in semifinals in Osaka 2007, her first major championships but has a personal best 54.33 from Monaco earlier this season. 25-year-old Trinidad & Tobago national record holder at 54.17 from this season, Josanne Lucas, also qualified easily in 55.41. Chinese Huang Xiaoxiao who has been fifth in this event twice in a row in Helsinki 2005 and Osaka 2007, did advance with ease clocking a season’s best 55.52 but did not look very comfortable. This was only Huang's second competition since May 2008 when she got injured and missed the Beijing Olympics as well. Fourth straight qualifier from this heat was Bulgarian Vania Stambolova who also did not look convincing. Deborah Rodriguez set a national record 59.21 for Uruguay.
Heat 2 -
American Sheena Tosta was in the lead for most of the race but for some reason the Olympic silver medallist from Beijing stopped running much too early and almost was overtaken by Latvian Ieva Zunda who missed the American by only 0.05 finishing in fifth place with a 56.05 season’s best behind Tosta 56.00 for fourth place. Jamaican Nickiesha Wilson, who was fourth in Osaka 2007, passed Tosta midway in the front straight to grab an easy win in 55.37. Osaka bronze medallist Anna Jesien (POL) also qualified in second place in 55.57 with Briton Eilidh Child in third with 55.96.
Heat 3 -
Russian Natalya Antyukh was the early leader in this heat with reigning Olympic champion Melaine Walker passing her on the front straight to record a heat win in 55.17. Antyukh was second in 55.40 and in this slow heat Perri Shakes-Drayton (GBR 56.49) and Sara Petersen (DEN 56.51) were the other two straight qualifiers.
Heat 4 -
23-year-old Romanian Angela Morosanu started quickly off the blocks leading for the whole race in this fast heat winning in 54.70. Morosanu is one of medal favourites here competing only in her second major championships in this event. In Beijing she did not make to the final from the semis. American Tiffany Williams was a clear second qualifying with no trouble in 55.25 with Czech Zuzana Hejnova in third clocking 55.68. Amaka Ogoegbunam (NGR) set a personal best 55.80 for the fourth automatic qualifying spot.
Heat 5
26-year-old Lashinda Demus entered the World Championships as clear favourite and all that just because of one race. Before the 2005 World Champs silver medallist from Helsinki clocked the fourth fastest time (52.63) ever in this distance in Monaco last month, this event looked to be wide open. But it isn’t open anymore, Demus showed already in the heats that her form is at top level. The American, competing in her first major championships since Helsinki 2005, was in a clear lead after the first curve and went on to win the heat with the fastest time in the heats, 54.66. Anastasiya Rabchenyuk (UKR) was second in 55.63 with Russian Natalya Ivanova third in 56.11. In a close finish Nigerian Joke Odumosu just dipped to the line before German Jonna Tilgner times being 56.62 and 56.73 respectively, but the German also advanced to the semis with her time as the last athlete of the 24 semifinalists.
Mirko Jalava for the IAAF
Heat 1 -
Jamaican Kaliese Spencer controlled the heat leading from start to finish to qualify easily in 55.12 seconds. The 22-year-old has progressed well this season and will look to enter the final later on. Spencer was eliminated in semifinals in Osaka 2007, her first major championships but has a personal best 54.33 from Monaco earlier this season. 25-year-old Trinidad & Tobago national record holder at 54.17 from this season, Josanne Lucas, also qualified easily in 55.41. Chinese Huang Xiaoxiao who has been fifth in this event twice in a row in Helsinki 2005 and Osaka 2007, did advance with ease clocking a season’s best 55.52 but did not look very comfortable. This was only Huang's second competition since May 2008 when she got injured and missed the Beijing Olympics as well. Fourth straight qualifier from this heat was Bulgarian Vania Stambolova who also did not look convincing. Deborah Rodriguez set a national record 59.21 for Uruguay.
Heat 2 -
American Sheena Tosta was in the lead for most of the race but for some reason the Olympic silver medallist from Beijing stopped running much too early and almost was overtaken by Latvian Ieva Zunda who missed the American by only 0.05 finishing in fifth place with a 56.05 season’s best behind Tosta 56.00 for fourth place. Jamaican Nickiesha Wilson, who was fourth in Osaka 2007, passed Tosta midway in the front straight to grab an easy win in 55.37. Osaka bronze medallist Anna Jesien (POL) also qualified in second place in 55.57 with Briton Eilidh Child in third with 55.96.
Heat 3 -
Russian Natalya Antyukh was the early leader in this heat with reigning Olympic champion Melaine Walker passing her on the front straight to record a heat win in 55.17. Antyukh was second in 55.40 and in this slow heat Perri Shakes-Drayton (GBR 56.49) and Sara Petersen (DEN 56.51) were the other two straight qualifiers.
Heat 4 -
23-year-old Romanian Angela Morosanu started quickly off the blocks leading for the whole race in this fast heat winning in 54.70. Morosanu is one of medal favourites here competing only in her second major championships in this event. In Beijing she did not make to the final from the semis. American Tiffany Williams was a clear second qualifying with no trouble in 55.25 with Czech Zuzana Hejnova in third clocking 55.68. Amaka Ogoegbunam (NGR) set a personal best 55.80 for the fourth automatic qualifying spot.
Heat 5
26-year-old Lashinda Demus entered the World Championships as clear favourite and all that just because of one race. Before the 2005 World Champs silver medallist from Helsinki clocked the fourth fastest time (52.63) ever in this distance in Monaco last month, this event looked to be wide open. But it isn’t open anymore, Demus showed already in the heats that her form is at top level. The American, competing in her first major championships since Helsinki 2005, was in a clear lead after the first curve and went on to win the heat with the fastest time in the heats, 54.66. Anastasiya Rabchenyuk (UKR) was second in 55.63 with Russian Natalya Ivanova third in 56.11. In a close finish Nigerian Joke Odumosu just dipped to the line before German Jonna Tilgner times being 56.62 and 56.73 respectively, but the German also advanced to the semis with her time as the last athlete of the 24 semifinalists.
Mirko Jalava for the IAAF
