By Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport Editor
Australia's Jana Pittman (centre) leads the pack including Jamaica's Debbie Ann Parris in the Women's 400m Hurdles final at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester yesterday. Pittman took gold in a time of 54.4 seconds. - Reuters
Manchester, England:
DEFENDING Commonwealth Games 400 metres hurdles champion Dinsdale Morgan and Ian Weakley will be seeking more medals for Jamaica when they contest today's men's 400m hurdles final. Both placed third in their respective semi-final heats in Manchester yesterday but looked to be saving their best for today's final.
In heat one where Jamaica's national champion Kemel Thompson made a late withdrawal, Weakley clocked 49.38 behind winner Matthew Elias who lowered the Welsh national record to 49.11. England's Anthony Borsumato grabbed second in 49.26. Morgan ran an even heat two won in 49.55 by gold medal favourite Chris Rawlinson of England. Namibia's Willie was second in 49.83 and Morgan next in 49.87.
Michelle Ballentine in the 800m, long jumper Elva Goulbourne and high jumpers Germaine Mason and Craig Norman will also be attempting to add to Jamaica's medal tally.
Ballentine qualified on time for today's women's 800m final but Charmaine Howell was eliminated. The former was fifth in a relatively fast heat one in a season-best 2:02.43 and managed to capture the eighth and last qualifying spot. The heat was won in 2.00.5 by Australia's Tamsyn Lewis in 2:00.5 from Canada's Diane Cummins 2:00.85 and England's Charlotte Moore 2:00.95.
The incomparable Maria Mutola trotted home in semi-final two in 2:01.59. Howell paid dearly in the end for trying to lift the early pace and was seventh in 2:04.15. Agnes Samaria (Namibia) 2:02.50 and England's Jo Fenn 2:03.04 took the other two automatic final berths.
Goulbourne had a best leap of 6.26m to be seventh of the 12 long jump finalists. England's Jade Johnson with 6.65m was the only jumper to get past the 6.55m automatic qualifying distance.
No high jumper got up to the automatic standard of 2.21m and the Jamaican duo, Mason and Norman, were among nine jumpers who cleared 2.15m. The defending champion Dalton Grant of England is among the qualifiers.
Former National champion and World Championship silver medallist Chris Williams became the second Jamaican to be disqualified for a lane violation at the Games. Williams won heat seven of the men's 200m early yesterday in 20.85 but was later thrown out of the competition for a lane violation. On Saturday 400m runner Ronetta Smith was also disqualified for running out of her lane in the second round of the women's event.
Later in the day Ricardo Williams advanced to today's men's 200m semis when he placed fourth in heat one of the second round won in 20.49 by Bahamian Dominic Demeritte. Williams' time was 20.73.
All three Jamaican women, Juliet Campbell, Astia Walker and Beverly McDonald booked berths in this afternoon's semi-finals. Campbell won heat one in 22.87, the fastest time of the round, Walker was second in 23.48 in heat two behind 100m gold medallist Debbie Ferguson of the Bahamas (23.05) and McDonald (23.02) was awarded heat four following the disqualification of the fancied Susanthika Jayansinghe of Sri Lanka. The women's 200m semi-finals and final will be run today.
In other sports at the Games Jamaica's shooters Jose Nunez and Keith Hammond finished way down the field, 16th of 18, in the men's 50m rifle prone - pairs with 1129. England won gold with 1189.
The island's table tennis players found winning form with 3-1 wins over Kenya and the Maldives in the team round robin competition. They were, however, eliminated from the semi-finals after losing their first three matches.
In squash James Bullock won his round of 16 match in the men's plate and has advanced to today's quarter-finals where he will meet Scotland's Neil Frankland.
Bullock beat Papua New Guinea's Damien Tam 9-5, 9-0, 9-3.
