Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport Editor

Melaine Walker of Jamaica competes with, shoelace undone in the women's 400-metre hurdles yesterday. - Photos by AP

BEIJING:

WORLD LEADER in the women's 400m hurdles, Melaine Walker, sounded a warning that she will be hard to beat for gold come Wednesday's final after an impressive run in the heats of the event on day three of track and field at the Beijing Olympics.

Walker led all qualifiers for the semi-finals after taking her heat in 54.46 from Ukraine's Anastasiya Rabchenyuk, 55.18.

Ready to go

The former St Jago High student said she was ready to perform well.

"I feel really good. Actually I was not thinking about coming around in 54 seconds, I just wanted a win. It turned out to be a fast time and it means I am in shape, and if I go out there with my mind made up I have to come out with gold."

Walker said her hurdling technique was not perfect during the race and the time was surprising. She added that with better hurdling she should improve greatly on the time.

Nickiesha Wilson, the fourth-place finisher in this event at last year's World Championships, also advanced after placing third in her heat in 55.75, but Shevon Stoddart is out. She was fourth in the opening heat in 56.52.

Eliminated

Another national champion, the Maurice Wilson-coached Rosemarie Whyte, and Shericka Williams, advanced to tomorrow's women's 400 metres final, but World Championships bronze medallist Novlene Williams-Mills was eliminated at the semi-final stage of the event.

Whyte advanced as one of two fastest losers after placing third in her semi-final heat but Williams-Mills was not so lucky. Her third place time, 51.06, was twelfth best overall. Only the top two finishers and the two fastest losers advanced from the three semi-final heats.

The 21-year-old Whyte, competing in her first Olympics, admitted that she was a bit nervous going into the race.

"My leg felt a little tight in the final stages of the race but I kept on pushing," said Whyte. She promised to give it her best shot in the final as the race for gold has not been decided as yet.

"Tomorrow everyone will see as no one will know the winner until the race is finished," Whyte said.

Shericka Williams had little problems reaching the final. She clocked a season-best 50.28 for second behind 2007 World Champion Christine Ohuruogo of Great Britain who won semi-final heat one in a season best 50.14.

Williams was always up with the pace and took the lead from Guyana's Aliann Pompey 30 metres out. However, she could not withstand a late rush from the winner.

Williams-Mills abandoned her usual front-running tactic and sat behind gold medal favourite Sanya Richards of the United States for the first 200m in semi-final two. Richards and Russian Anastasia Kapachinskaya pulled away at the top of the straight, however, and the former national champion could only finish third in 51.06.

Richards looked in supreme form as she clocked 49.90 for victory. The Jamaican-born star was the only athlete to go under 50 seconds.