Australia's Cathy Freeman (centre) waves to the crowd from the winners podium with silver medallist Jamaica's Lorraine Graham (right) after winning the 400m final on Monday. Britain's Katherine Merry took the bronze. SYDNEY -
JAMAICA'S Chris Williams and Beverly McDonald led all qualifiers into the second round of the men's and women's 200 metres on day five of the track and field programme at the 2000 Sydney Olympics yesterday.
Williams won heat 6 of the men's event in an impressive 20.45 seconds then said he might have gone a bit too fast in such an early round.
"I went out a bit too hard but everybody in this race is fairly good and I wanted to get a good lane for the second round later in the day, " Williams said after he pulled away from his rivals at the top of the straight before coasting home from Japan's Shingo Suetsugu (20.60) and Jose Venancio of Spain (20.95).
Dwight Thomas also qualified for the second round with a second-place finish in 20.85 in the ninth and final heat. The winner of the heat was Brazil's Claudinei da Silva in 20.70.
Ricardo Williams failed to advance from heat 4. He finished up a disappointing fifth in 21.09. American Coby Miller won in 20.49 from Britain's Darren Campbell 20.67 and Uchenna Emedolu of Nigeria third in 20.71.
McDonald looked in the form which brought her a silver medal at last year's World Championships in Seville, Spain. Without showing much effort, she waltzed to 22.50 in the fifth of seven heats beating the Bahamas' Pauline Davis-Thompson who ran on for second in 22.61. The second best time for the round was returned by Sri Lanka's Susanthika Jayasinghe who won heat 7 in 22.53.
Juliet Campbell and Astia Walker also qualified for the second round of the women's 200 where the first four in each heat advanced. Campbell was fourth in heat 2 in 23.18 in an event won by Cameroon's Leoni Mani in 22.68. Walker clocked 23.33 for fourth in heat six won by Nigeria's Mary Onyali-Omagbemi in 22.90.
Favourite for the 200, American Marion Jones, won heat one in 22.75 and barring injury the rest, including 400 metres champion Cathy Freeman of Australia (third in heat 2 in 23.11), are running for the minor medals.
Mardrea Hyman advanced to the second round of the women's 1,500 metres although finishing only tenth in the first of the three heats.
She clocked 4.10.21 which was ranked 12th of the 24 qualifiers. The winner of the heat was Suzy Favor Hamiliton of the United States in 4.08.08. Heat 2 went to Romania's Violeta Szekely in 4.10.18 while heat 3 was won by Ethiopia's Kutre Dulcha in 4.09.88.
By Elton Tucker
Assistant Sport Editor
