Walker eyeing record

Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport Editor
BEIJING:

MELAINE WALKER is on a mission. The world leader in the 400-metre hurdles has her sights set on breaking the world record in tomorrow's final of the event at the Beijing's National Stadium, known here as the 'Bird's Nest'.

Walker gave another command performance in the semi-finals of the event on yesterday's day four of track and field at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and then declared that her personal best of 53.48 seconds for the distance was "in great danger" in tomorrow's final.

"I will try to get the world record. If I try, I might get the Jamaica record," an extremely confident Walker said. The national record is 52.82 by Deon Hemmings and she won gold at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.

In fact, Walker, a member of the high-powered MVP Track Club, the same club which produced Beijing 100 metres gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser, will be aiming at a time over a second better than her current personal best. The world record is 52.34, set five years ago by Russia's Yulia Pechonkina.

Yesterday, Walker executed her race plan to perfection to win her semi-final in 54.20.

The plan was to attack the first two hurdles, then relax and take it home from the last six hurdles. She did just that and was going away from her rivals at the end.

The other semi-final went to American Sheena Tosta in 54.07. In the latter race, Jamaica's Nickiesha Wilson, fourth in the World Championships last year, ended up fifth in 54.67 and failed to reach the final.

Only one runner in the final will be wearing Jamaica's colours, but another finalist, Britain's Tasha Danvers, has Jamaican blood throughout her veins. Danvers' parents are St Catherine natives, former hurdler Donald Danvers and Dorette McKoy who did the high jump and threw the javelin.

"My dad would kill me if I did not say 'hi' to all you Jamaicans," Danvers said as she walked back after posting a 54.21 season best for second, behind Tosta in the first semi-final.

After two consecutive golden nights, Jamaica drew a blank in two finals yesterday.

Ran his heart out

Danny McFarlane ran his heart out but could not prevent an American sweep of the medals in the men's 400m hurdles. McFarlane looked good for bronze coming over the final hurdle but American Bershawn Jackson (48.06) held on behind his two teammates. Angelo Taylor who won gold in Sydney eight years was on the top of the podium again in a personal best 47.25, with Kerron Clement second in 47.98. It was the first sweep in the event since the Americans also did it in 1960.

McFarlane, who clocked a season, best 48.30, was satisfied with his performance.

"At 36 years old and coming here and almost getting a bronze, I don't think many people can say they have done that," the veteran competitor said.

Markino Buckley, Jamaica's other finalist, was seventh in 48.60.

Kenia Sinclair ran a gallant race but was no match for two powerful women from Kenya. Pamela Jelimo, a sensational 18-year-old, set a world junior record 1:54.87 for gold while her compatriot, Janeth Jepkosgei, was second in 1:56.07. The bronze medal winner was Morocco's Hasna Benhassi in 1:56.73.

Sinclair conceded that the top women were too strong.

"Today, I said I had nothing to lose. I was going to go out with the two Kenyans and give it all I had. I realise we went out too fast but I knew that if I wanted to be on top I had to go with those girls. I wanted to separate myself from the rest of the field as I did on Saturday but I was not strong enough at the end," said Sinclair.

She said she needed to get stronger and improve her last 200 metres if she hoped to do well against the current crop of 800m runners.

IN ACTION TOMORROW MORNING

Men

800m heats - Aldwyn Sappleton - 6 a.m.

110m hurdles semis - Richard Phillips, Maurice Wignall - 8:30 a.m.

200m final - 9:30 a.m.

Women

200m semi-finals - 8:55 a.m.

400m hurdles final - Melaine Walker - 9:35 a.m.