Jamaica's silver lady

By Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport Editor

Lorraine Fenton of Jamaica crouches after her second place finish in the women's 400 metre final at the World Championships last night. Amy Mbacke Thiam of Senegal finished first in 49.86 seconds, Fenton second in 49.88 and Ana Guevara of Mexico third in 49.97. - Reuters

EDMONTON:

IN one of the closest finishes seen so far at the eighth IAAF World Athletics here, Jamaica's Lorraine Graham-Fenton was last night denied gold by two-hundredths of a second in the women's 400 metres final.

It appeared with 20 metres to go that the 27-year-old Graham-Fenton, the silver medal winner at last year's Sydney Olympics, would last home but a

last desperate lunge by Amy Thiam Mbacke of Senegal secured the gold.

The winner clocked a national record 49.86 with Graham-Fenton a whisker behind in 49.88. The bronze medal went to Mexico's Ana Guevara in 49.97.

Graham-Fenton has fought a hamstring injury all season but made no excuses.

"Making it to the final and getting a medal, I could not ask for anything more. The hamstring is still tight but it did not affect me in anyway today,"

Graham-Fenton said. She, however, added she would have ran a much faster time if she was not injured earlier in the season.

Graham-Fenton's silver brought Jamaica's tally at the championships to two following Gregory Haughton's bronze medal in the men's 400m on Monday.

They should add to that tally tonight when Deon Hemmings and Debbie Ann Parris run in the women's 400m hurdles final.

Elva Goulbourne in the women's long jump final and Mardrea Hyman in the 1500 metres final placed tenth.

Goulbourne posted 6.62m on her first attempt but failed to register another mark. She said it was a learning experience.

"This will help me to go further at the next World Championships," she said. Hyman was no match for the world's leading 1,500 metres runners and she was happy that she got the chance to compete.

"It was not the race I expected but I can't be down on myself as it's a big step to be in the final," Hyman said. She will return to the grand prix circuit when the championships end this weekend.

The long jump gold went to Fiona May of Italy with a leap of 7.02m while Gabriela Szabo of Romania took the 1,500m in 4.00.57. Hyman's time was 4.12.48.

Sprinter Christopher Williams looks in top form in the 200 metres. In two race she has registered times of 20.25 for the first round and a season best 20.24 in the quarter-finals.

"I have been preparing hard for this meet and everything is coming together right now," Williams said after his second round win in which he defeated Kim Collins of St. Kitts (20.25 national record) and Nigeria's Uchenna Emedolu 20.48.

Ricardo Williams who advanced as one of the fastest losers after clocking 20.85 for fifth in heat one dropped out in the second round. He placed sixth in 20.65 as Olympic champion Konstadinos Kederis of Greece won in 20.30.

The fastest qualifiers for the semi-finals are Britain's Christian Malcolm who won heat one in 20.13 and American Shawn Crawford who was second in the same heat in 20.19.

Jamaica's trio of 400 metres hurdlers all advanced easily to today's semi-finals.

Neil Gardner who ran a season-best 48.71 at last June's National Trials was the most impressive of the three, winning heat four in 49.29 seconds beating American Angelo Taylor, the man strongly tipped to win the gold medal on Friday night.

Gardner who declined to comment on his race kept a strong pace throughout to finish a metre ahead of a very easy Taylor (49.39) and Russian Mashchenko 49.50.

Ian Weakley, 49.40, had to contend with cool, rainy conditions in heat one and played second fiddle to another leading medal contender, Fabrizio Mori of Italy who won in 49.29. Weakley said he was a bit rusty but would improve in the next round.

"I went out well in the first 200 metres then relaxed. I stumbled over the seventh but I am sure as the rounds go by there will be a big improvement from me."

He said he was not put off by the rain and cold.

"I learned a big lesson in Sydney last year that you can't make those things distract you. Last year in Sydney the weather was the same and I couldn't pull it off but I have decided that this year was not going to be the same," Weakley added.

Jamaica's other qualifier was Mario Watts, twin brother of 800 metres semi-finalist Marvin Watts who admitted he had been encouraged by his brother's performance clocked 49.86 to hold on for the third automatic qualifying spot in heat five behind Briton Chris Rawlinson's 49.38 and Poland's Marek Plawgo 49.75.

The fastest qualifier was the Dominican Republic's Felix Sanchez who won heat three in 48.64 pulling second place Mustapha Sdad of Morocco to a national record 48.96.

IN ACTION TODAY

7:00 p.m. - Women's 200m heats: Juliet Campbell, Beverly McDonald, Aleen Bailey.

7:45 p.m. - Men's 200m semi-finals: Christopher Williams.

8:15 p.m. - Men's 400m hurdles semi-finals: Ian Weakley, Mario Watts, Neil Gardner.

8.45 p.m. - Women's 400m hurdles final: Debbie Ann Parris, Deon Hemmings.

Back to Sport