Wijekoon knocked-out in 1500m semi-finals

Dinesh WEERAWANSA reporting from South Korea

Asian Championship gold medallist Chaminda Wijekoon shattered Sri Lanka’s only hope at the 13th IAAF World Championships when he finished one before the last in his men’s 1,500m second semi final worked off at the Daegu Stadium here yesterday.

Competing in semi-final two of the men’s 1,500, the 29-year-old champion Lankan middle distance runner failed to maintain his fine form in the qualifying round and finished 12th. By the halfway mark of the race, Wijekoon was way behind the others and the 10m gap looked an uphill task for him to bridge.

“I have been nursing an injury in the left foot and that did not permit me to have my normal run. Nevertheless, I am happy with my performances in Daegu as I failed to better by Sri Lanka record in heats and run under 3/40,” Wijekoon said after the race. His timing of three minutes and 44.81 was nowhere near his Sri Lanka record of 3:39.61 achieved two days ago.

Reigning Olympic champion Kiprop Asbel won this heat in 3.33.11. The first men’s 1,500m heat was won by American Matthew Centrowitz in 3:46.66. The men’s 1,500m final is scheduled to be worked off tomorrow night at 8.15 p.m. locals time – 4.45 p.m. SL time.

Meanwhile, American Carmelita Jeter kept her dreams of a sprint double arrive, clocking 22.47 to win the first semi final of the women’s 200m worked off yesterday. Jeter, who emerged the fastest woman at the Daegu 2011 World Championships by clocking 10.90 to win the 100m gold, is now only a step away from that elusive sprint double.

Finishing second behind Jeter was former Commonwealth Games gold medalist Sherone Simpson of Jamaica in 22.88 seconds. But Jeter’s American team mate Shalonda Soloman was one hundredth of a second faster in winning heat two returning a timing of 22.46. Jamaican Kerron Stewart, the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist, came second in 22.77.

Nevertheless, Jeter’s real challenger would be Jamaican Veronica Campbell who won the third race in 22.53 seconds. Defending champion Allyson Felix, who is gearing to win her third successive World Championship gold in women’s 200m and the 2008 Olympic silver medallist clocked 22.67 to secure the second place.

The US men’s 400m relay team sent an early warning that they are the super favourites to win the gold tonight.

They remained rock solid favourites to bag the fourth successive gold medal in men’s 4 x 400m after a superlative display in yesterday’s qualifying round.

LaShawn Merritt, the silver medallist in the 400m two days ago, anchored the US team to victory in 2:58.82. Jamaica, despite not having the services of their top 400m runner Jermaine Gonzales, secured second with a season’s best 2:59.13. Boosted by double amputee Oscar Pistorius, South Africa came third with a national record 2:59.21.

The winning time in the men’s 4 x 400m second heat is much slower than even the fifth placed team registered in the opening heat. Belgium, though, anchored by Kevin Borlee, the World 400m bronze medallist, who secured the first place in 3.00.71 – 0.10 ahead of Russia who took second. Kenya qualified for their first World Championships 400m relay final in 16 years finishing in third in the heat 2.

The most notable absentee from Friday night’s men’s 4 x 400m relay final will be Bahamas - the 2001 gold medallists – who wound up fourth in 3:01.54.

The three women’s 800m medallists at the last Berlin 2009 World Championship made sure that they would not fall into the list of fallen heroes in Daegu by advancing to the final with a solid performance in today’s qualifying round.

Caster Semenya, Janeth Jepkosgei and Jenny Meadows – all made it to the women’s 800m semi finals along with Russia’s 2011 world leader Mariya Savinova. Meadows in the first heat ran a perfect race sitting on the shoulder of Kenya’s Eunice Sum who went through the bell in 1:01.35 until getting clear 100m away from the line and finishing in 2:01.11.

There were no surprise in the women’s javelin throw qualifying rounds with all fancies athletes advancing to Friday’s final. Christina Obergfoll of Germany who has dominated on the circuit this season cleared 68.72m – the third longest throw in the world this year - and her second longest. Sunette Viljeon of South Africa was the second longest qualifier as she exposed her medal credentials with a splendid 65.34m throw. This year’s world leader Barbora Spotakova, the reigning Olympic champion from Czech Republic hurled the spear out to 63.40m with her opening throw to make a safe passage into the final.

Hosts South Korea which is till in search of their first gold medal at the 2011 World Championship had some consolation when Kim Deokhyeon became their first in-stadium finalist in Daegu with season’s best of 8.02m in men’s long jump qualifying round. DAEGU, Friday