SYDNEY: JAMAICA'S World Championship 200 metres silver medallist Beverly McDonald ran a season best 22.35 seconds in the 200 metres final at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney yesterday but it was only good enough to give her fourth spot.McDonald who breezed through the first and second rounds on Wednesday with times of 22.50 and 22.44 drew the unfavourable lane one in the final. The former Vere Technical High star and the rest of the field proved no match for American superstar Marion Jones who completed the sprint double by winning the gold in a season best 21.84.
Bahamian Paul Davis-Thompson, in the best form of her life at 34, lowered her personal best twice in consecutive races as she captured the silver in 22.27. Bronze went to Sri Lanka's Susanthika Jayasinghe in 22.28 while McDonald clocked 22.35 for fourth.
Chris Williams failed to reach the men's final which provided an upset victory for Greek Konstantinos Kenteris in 20.09. Britain's Darren Campbell took silver in 20.14 while Ato Boldon of Trinidad and Tobago pocketed his second medal of the meet in 20.20.
Williams ran well in the first and second rounds but found American John Capel with 20.10, Britain's Christian Malcolm (20.19), Ato Boldon (20.20) too hot to handle in the first semi-final and was eliminated after placing fifth in 20.47.
Williams blamed his placing on a bad start.
"If one gets a bad start it's difficult to catch guys who can run under 20 seconds for 200 metres," Williams said after his race. The former Bellefield Secondary student is already looking ahead to next season.
"After the Olympics I am hoping to sharpen up indoors in preparation for the World Championships next year in Edmonton."
Williams is expected to run third leg on Jamaica's 4x100 metres team.
Middle distance runner Mardrea Hyman also failed to advance to the final of the women's 1,500 metres after placing well down the field in her semi-final. Hyman ran well for 1,200 metres but when the leading contenders kicked for home she remained one-paced and finished 11th of 12 in the semi-final clocking a slow 4.14.20.
Decathlete Claston Bernard withdrew from the multi-event discipline after courting disaster several times in the pole vault.
Bernard looked unprepared for the event and, like he did in the long jump on Wednesday, failed to score a point. He failed three times at the opening height of 3.80m in the pole vault and did not report for either the javelin or the 1,500 metres.
Early yesterday high jumper Karen Beautle, who has been carrying a slight injury since the pre-Olympic camp in Brisbane, was eliminated in the qualifiers after failing to clear the 1.80m starting height.
Even at her best, however, the 29-year-old Beautle whose best clearance is 1.89m, would have been stretched to reach the qualifying height of 1.94m.
By Elton Tucker
Assistant Editor Sport
