- Reuters
Michael Blackwood of Jamaica winning his heat in the first round of the men's 400 metres at the ninth World Athletics Championships at the Stade De France in Saint-Denis near Paris yesterday.
PARIS, France:
Report from Elton Tucker, Assistant Sports Editor
FAST-RISING high jumper Germaine Mason took his first big step towards winning a medal at the ninth IAAF World Athletics Championships when he reached tomorrow's final after a gutsy display inside the Stade de France yesterday.
Jumping in Group B of the qualification competition, Mason gave his supporters some anxious moments as he needed two attempts each to clear 2.25 metres, 2.27m and the automatic qualifying height of 2.29m.
The competition was of an extremely high standard and for the first time in history two jumpers cleared 2.27m and failed to reach the final of the event.
Mason acknowledged that the going was tough.
"It was very difficult for me. My plan was to make just three jumps but I had hurt my knee in winning gold at the Pan American Games and today's competition was very long. I am, however, grateful that I made the qualifying height," Mason, who is competing in only his second major senior championship, said.
National 100m champion Aleen Bailey advanced easily to today's women's 100m semi-finals but her team-mate, Judyth Kitson, dropped out in the second round. The final will also be run today.
Bailey won her first-round heat in 11.23 seconds while Kitson was third in 11.70 to winner Christine Arron of France, 11.15, and former champion Gail Devers, 11.17.
Later in the second round Bailey clocked a good 11.16 behind American Torri Edwards with 11.08. Kitson was seventh in the first of the four quarter-final heats in 11.71. Gold medal favourite Chandra Sturrup of the Bahamas powered to victory in 10.98 ahead of Devers who clocked 11.16.
The fastest semi-finals qualifier was American Kelli White with a scorching 10.96. White's mother is former national and Excelsior High athlete Debbie Byfield.
Bailey admitted that things will be heat up from now on.
"My coach saw that I was a bit slow this morning and we worked on my start for this round. It is still not perfect but we will keep working on it leading up to the semi-finals. Right now my focus is on the semi-finals. When I get to the final then I will prepare myself to get one of the top three spots."
Also advancing to the women's 100m semi-finals was two-time 200m champion Merlene Ottey, now running in the colours of Slovenia.
The 43-year-old grandmother of sprinting, by far the oldest woman left in the event, said things were going well so far.
"On paper I am not supposed to get this far. Now I am in the semi-finals and I have to continue fighting to see if I can get any further," said Ottey who won three World outdoor championships gold medals in Jamaica's colours between 1991 and 1995.
Earlier, Jamaica had mixed fortune in the men's 400m heats.
Commonwealth champion Michael Blackwood won the opening heat and Brandon Simpson was second in the fifth. Davian Clarke, however clocked an abysmal 46.26 for sixth in the seventh and final heat and was eliminated.
Clarke, who recently anchored the Jamaica team to gold at the Pan American Games, was distraught.
"I went out there and ran my best but it just did not work out from lane one," Clarke said.
Blackwood had earlier been forced to pull out all the stops to win heat one in 45.13, the fastest time of the round.
"I was running 'blind' in lane eight but my goal is to win every race and get a good lane in the semi-finals," a confident Blackwood said.
Simpson, 45.60, took a long lead then coasted home in and was caught close home by Marc Raquil (45.49) of France.
Both Jamaicans will be battling against each other in today's semi-finals as they have been drawn in the final heat of three. Only the first two and the two fastest losers will advance to Tuesday's final.
