Stewart

Berlin, Germany:

Jamaica will be hunting more sprint medals today at the 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics.

It's the women's turn to try to duplicate Usain Bolt's amazing run.

Following the gold and two silver medals in Beijing, there are high expectations of another sweep in Berlin. Kerron Stewart, the fastest woman in the world this year, Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser and defending champion Veronica Campbell Brown have all advanced to the semi-finals.

Stewart kept up the pressure on her rivals with a smooth 10.92 seconds in her second-round heat to be the fastest qualifier for the semi-finals. Campbell-Brown was equally impressive with 10.99 in heat three while Fraser and Aleen Bailey advanced with times of 11.02 and 11.12. The Americans are led by Carmelita Jeter with 10.94 to win second-round heat four ahead of Fraser.

Stewart was satisfied with her performance and is in top shape for today's semi-finals.

She said she felt no really pressure to perform.

"Whenever you line up to compete, that's pressure. It's how you deal with it," Stewart, who ran what she described as technically sound second-round race, said.

Campbell-Brown also looked good and said she came to win her heat.

"I executed well and that was the main objective for today. Execute and just prepare for tomorrow. The main objective was to win my second round and move on to the semi-final. There was no particular time in mind," said Campbell who had a plaster on her left foot but assured everyone that she was in good shape.

No pressure

( l - r ) Fraser, Campbell-Brown

Fraser said she felt no pressure from being Olympic champion but will be looking to improve her start ahead of today's 100m semi-finals and final after second-place finishes in both the first and second rounds

National champion Novlene Williams-Mills and Shericka Williams are in the women's 400m finals.

Williams, who bagged a surprising silver in Beijing last year, clocked a personal-best 49.51 to win semi-final two and will be challenging for gold in tomorrow's final.

Williams-Mills, 49.88, was forced to dig deep to hold off Botswana's Amantle Monsho, 48.89 in semi-final heat one while gold medal favourite, American Sanya Richards, cruised home in semi-final three in 50.21.

"Making it to the finals is the most important thing because you can do nothing if you are not in the final," Williams-Mills said. "Now I will go home, and then see what happens (in the final)."

The self-styled tough man Danny McFarlane reached another men's 400m hurdles final while Isa Phillips, who was all the rage in early season, dropped out at the semi-final stage for the third straight championships.

Good shot

"I knew the race was going to be fast but I gave myself a real good shot," McFarlane, who is competing in his ninth World Championships, said. He placed fourth in 48.49 in semi-final one but advanced as one the fastest losers. Phillips was also fourth in semi-final two but his 48.93 was the 10th-best time.

"I was going all right, I just messed it up as I tried getting 14 steps home but did not get it right," said Phillips. "I just have to go back to the drawing board and come again."

Trecia Smith will compete in the women's triple jump final today.