Christine narrowly misses semis

Dinesh Weerawansa reporting from South Korea

Sri Lanka’s Christine Sonali Merrill narrowly missed a chance of making it to the semi finals of women’s 400m hurdles on day three of the 13th IAAF World Championships continued in Daegu Stadium here today. Portugal’s Vera Barbosa, who finished just ahead of Merrill at the fifth place with a timing of 56.31 seconds, qualified for the semi finals.

Merrill, who won the bronze medal in her pet event at the Asian Championships in Kobe last July, clocked an unimpressive 57.05 seconds to finish sixth in her qualifying round heat worked off this morning. Competing in advantageous lane four with former junior world champion Kaliese Spencer of Jamaica on her right lane, Merrill got off to a good start but failed to capitalize on that early advantage. Spencer had a powerful last dash to win the first of the three quarter final qualifying round heats with an impressive timing of 54.93 seconds, ahead of Anastasiya Rabchenyuk of Ukraine.

This year’s best performer in women’s 400m hurdles, Spencer missed out on a medal at the last Championships by a whisker. The 24-year-old realized that fellow Jamaican Melaine Walker, although not looking brilliant in her qualifier, is fully geared up to defending her title while Lashinda Demus a two-time silver medalist is equally determined on this occasion to take home a golden one.

Lankan Merrill was within the top four before the second bend but lacked that turbo power that was needed for the powerful finish. “I know I got off to a good start. It is unfortunate that I failed to keep that rhythm for the rest of my race,” the 24-year-old Lankan lass said after her event.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily News immediately after the women’s 400m hurdles quarter finals, the US-based Lankan athlete said the things did not go to her liking in the last leg of the race. “My aim was to make it to the semi finals. But the competition level was high and I could not make the best use of the relatively good start that I picked,” she said. “I have been working really hard with strenuous training. After I won a medal at the Asian Championships, my target was to improve on my Sri Lanka national record. I could not do it here but would make every endeavour to better my feat in near future,” a determined Merrill added.

She was placed 24 th among 38 woman athletes who came under the starters orders for the five 400m hurdles qualifiers. The best timing of 54.86 seconds was registered by Melanie Walker who won the heat five, just ahead of Russian Nataliya Antyukh (54.88), who came second in the identical heat 5.

Sri Lanka’s other medalist at the 2011 Asian Championships in Kobe last month, Chaminda Wijekoon will be seen in action on day four of the IAAF World Championships here on Tuesday. After arriving here last week, the Lankan middle distance runner has been busy at training and will be looking forward to better his personal best.

“I am focused on my race. I know the competition level here in Daegu is very high. Obviously at any world championships, you get the cream of runners who get better training and competition opportunities. But I am equally focused on to my task, though I don’t have too many big expectations,” he said.

There will be a total of 39 competitors who will run in three first round heats of the men’s 1,500m first round heats. Wijekoon, who has done his pet event in three minutes and 40.78 seconds as the personal best, aims to improve on his timing. “My prime target is to achieve my personal best here. If I achieve that, I could advance further,” Wijekoon said on the eve of his decisive race.

Kenya, which has never won men’s 1,500m gold at a World Championship is gearing to break that hoodoo in Daegu with their Commonwealth champion Silas Kiplagat recording the two fastest timing in the world this year.

The 22-year-old recorded a world leading 3:30.47 to triumph in Monaco and a 3:31.39 clocking at altitude to win the Kenyan title is, arguably, even more impressive. His compatriot, the Olympic and African champion Asbel Kiprop (3:31.76) should turn out to be a strong contender in the men’s 1,500m. The other middle distance runners who could make their presence felt are two-time World indoor silver medalist Daniel Kipchirchir Komen (3:32.47), Olympic silver medalist Nick Willis of New Zealand (3:31.79) and two-time World Indoor 1500m champion Deresse Mekonnen (3:32.90) of Ethiopia.

Tuesday’s schedule on day four of the 13th IAAF World Championships include five finals in women’s pole vault, men’s discus throw, women’s 3,000m steeple chase as well as men’s 800m and 400m events that would produce five more gold medalists.

DAEGU, Monday