JAMAICA'S James Beckford, the man widely tipped to win the long jump silver medal here, is out of the Olympics.
Beckford failed to qualify for the final Monday morning after his best jump of 7.98 metres put him in 14th position overall.
To qualify automatically, athletes must get up to 8.15m. If most fail to do so the top 12 are selected. Beckford missed qualification by just two centimetres as the 12th qualifier, Bogdan Tarus of Romania, jumped 8.00 metres.
Beckford, who became the first Jamaican to win a field event medal at the Olympics when he won silver in Atlanta in 1996, had leaps of 7.87m, 7.87m and 7.98m in his three qualifying jumps.
The 25-year-old who also won the long jump silver medal at the 1995 world championship only arrived at the Olympic Village two days before the track and field events began last Friday. Reports from the Jamaican management were that he was training at his base in Orlando, Florida.
The leading qualifier for the long jump was the gold medal favourite Ivan Pedroso of Cuba with 8.32 metres. His countryman Luis Meliz was second with 8.21m. The final will be held on Thursday.
Earlier in the women's 100 metres hurdles, Bridgette Foster ran a personal best 12.75 seconds in the heat 5 of the women's 100 metres hurdles heats y to lead all three Jamaicans into the second round of the event.
Foster, who had a best time of 12.79 coming into the Games, hurdled flawlessly to earn second behind gold medal favourite Gail Devers of the United States. Devers clocked 12.62 to emerge the leading qualifier from round one.
Delloreen Ennis-London, who is being touted here as the likely bronze medallist in the event, came through strongly after a sluggish start to pip Linda Ferga of France in the first heat. Ennis-London who clocked 12.88 said she was bothered a bit by the cold.
Michelle Freeman, 12.99, led early but faded to third in heat 2 behind Katie Anderson of Canada 12.82 and American Sharon Couch 12.92.
- Elton Tucker
