Sprint quartets make medal bid

HELSINKI, Finland

JAMAICA'S MEN'S and women's sprint relay teams survived uncertain baton changes to reach today's finals at the 10th IAAF World Championships in Helsinki.

First Lerone Clarke, Dwight Thomas, Ainsley Waugh and Michael Frater clocked a season best 38.37 for second behind France, 38.34, in semi-final heat one.

Things went fairly well early but the final change between Waugh and Frater was fumbled and the 100m silver medallist had to run his heart out to bring his team from fourth to second, just ahead of Germany.

In a scene which has become very familiar in major meets, the United States failed to get the baton around in this heat. Lead off man Mardy Scales did not get the baton to Leonard Scott and the Americans did not finish. The other two members of the American quartet were Tyson Gay and Maurice Greene who was involved in his first event of the championships.

Fastest qualifers for the final are Trinidad and Tobago with a world leading 38.28 seconds to win semi-final heat two ahead of Great Britain with 38.32 and Japan, 38.46.

Frater expects Jamaica to be even stronger in today's final as there will be changes in the line-up. Clarke and Waugh may be replaced by two of Usain Bolt, Chris Williams and Patrick Jarrett.

"We will see how Bolt is feeling, Jarrett is available and there is also Chris Williams," Frater said.

There were rumours here that world record holder Asafa Powell would line up in the final but press liaison Juliet Cuthbert said they were just not true.

The women booked their place after finishing second to France in semi-final heat two. France, with Christine Arron running the final leg just 90 minutes after the women's 200m final, won in 42.86 with Jamaica second in 42.97 and Colombia third in 43.03.

The Jamaica quartet was Danielle Browning, Sherone Simpson, Beverly McDonald and Aleen Bailey.

Veronica Campbell is expected to replace Browning. Browning started yesterday and starting duties could now go to Sherone Simpson with Bailey, who had a poor pass with McDonald yesterday on the final leg, running the second leg and McDonald the curve.

Overwhelming favourites, the United States, won semi-final heat one in a world leading 42.16, by far the fastest time. They will improve their quartet by bringing in 200m gold medallist Allyson Felix and possibly Rachelle Boone-Smith, the silver medallist. Angela Daigle, Muna Lee, Me'Lisa Barber and 100m gold medallist Lauryn Williams formed yesterday's quartet.

Long jumper James Beckford will also be in action today.

Beckford impressed with a qualifying leap of 8.13m on his second attempt in group B of yesterday's qualifiers.

American Olympic champion Dwight Phillips had an easy day. He jumped 8.59m on his first attempt in the same group and he looks good for a certain gold medal.

Beckford will be attempting to at least duplicate his silver medal of two years ago in Paris.

In two other field events shot putter Kimberley Barrett and javelin thrower Olivia McKoy were eliminated in the qualifiers.

Barrett was very unlucky. She missed the final by just two centimetres after finishing seventh in qualifying group B. Barrett had a best throw of 17.85m for 13th overall. Twelth place Lieja Tunks of the Netherlands got the final qualifying spot with a 17.87m throw while placing sixth in group A. The top qualifier was New Zealand's Valerie Vili with 19.87m in group B.

McKoy was 14th overall in the javelin qualifiers with a best of 58.49m in group B. The leading qualifier was Germany's Steffi Nerius with 66.52m.

In action today

Women

12:40p.m. - 4x100m final

1:05p.m. - 4x400m qualifiers

Men

11:30a.m. 4x400m qualifiers

11:45a.m. - Long jump: James Beckford

1:40p.m. - 4x100m final