By Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport Editor
Jamaica's Danny McFarlane reacts after his 400 metres hurdles semi-final victory yesterday.
ATHENS, Greece:
TODAY IS poised to be a golden day for Jamaica at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
New sprint queen, Veronica Campbell, powered to a personal best 22.14 seconds in winning her women's 200m semi-final here last night. It moved her to within one race of becoming the second Jamaican woman, after Deon Hemmings, to win gold at the Olympics.
Campbell, 22, is in no doubt about her mission.
"It feels awesome. I have been dreaming about this 200m. Hopefully in 24 hours I will feel as good as I felt today," Campbell said.
Two Jamaicans will be in the final. Aleen Bailey finished behind Campbell in a personal best 22.33 in semi-final two.
OTTEY STOPPED
Beverly McDonald was sixth and failed to advance from semi-final one won in 22.36 by American Alyson Felix. In this heat the former Jamaica sprint queen, Merlene Ottey, stopped 110m out and did not finish.
Claston Bernard set a national record 8225 points in the gruelling decathlon to finish ninth overall. Maurice Smith was 14th with 8023 points. The gold medal went to world record holder Roman Sebrle of the Czech Republic who set an Olympic record 8893 points.
Lacena Golding, 12.73, ran gallantly but was fifth in the 100m hurdles final won in an Olympic record 12.37 by American Joanna Hayes from Ukraine's Olena Krasovska, 12.45. Another American, Melissa Morrison, took bronze in 12.56.
Danny McFarlane in the 400m hurdles and long jumper James Beckford also reached the finals of their events.
McFarlane ran a powerful semi-final two in the 400m hurdles to win in a personal best 48.00, well under his previous best of 48.30. Kemel Thompson was unlucky not to make the final. He ran a season-best 48.25 for fourth but lost out by one-hundredth of a second to Naman Keita of France in a desperate four-way finish to semi-final three.
The heat was won by American James Carter in 48.18.
The man to beat in tomorrow's final is world champion Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic. He won semi-final one in 47.93 to extend his unbeaten run in the event to 40.
GAVE SUPPORTERS A SCARE
Beckford, 8.20m, was an automatic qualifier for tomorrow's men's long jump final. He got past the required 8.10m on his first attempt.
Asafa Powell and Chris Williams are in today's semi-finals of the men's 200m. Powell, who had given his supporters a few scares in getting to the second round was second in heat three to 100m champion Justin Gatlin of the United States. Drawn in lane eight Powell (20.23) went out fast but was caught close home. Gatlin won in 20.03.
Williams, 20.34, advanced as one of the fastest losers after he was fourth in heat two.
Powell was comfortable with his run.
"My coach told me to place in the top three but the guys in the inside lanes were too close so I decided to settle for second," Powell said.
Williams said he was approaching the form which got him a silver at the 2001 World Championships but was not yet there.
WILLIAMS VERY HAPPY
"I am close so I am happy," Williams said after his season best performance.
American Shawn Crawford had the fastest time, 19.95, in winning heat one.
Earlier the surprise result of the day was shock exit of Usain Bolt from the men's 200m.
Bolt clocked 21.05 seconds for fifth in heat four and failed to advance to yesterday's round two.
He ran well for about 80 metres but was behind and in big trouble coming off the top of the straight. He looked to dig deep 60m out but found very little and jogged in behind Poland's Marcin Jedrusinski who won the heat in 20.63 from Germany's Tobias Unger, 20.65, and Joseph Batangdon of Cameroon, third in 20.92.
The world junior record holder at 200m declined to speak to journalists as he went through the Mixed Zone (an area where journalists are allowed to mingle with athletes).
High hurdlers Maurice Wignall, Richard Phillips and Chris Pinnock all hit good form to earn places in today's 110m hurdles round two. Wignall equalled his season-best 13.30 in winning heat six ahead of Phillips who got down to a personal best 13.35. Pinnock was third in heat two in a season-best 13.42.
The leading qualifier was Frenchman Ladji Doucoure who ran a national record 13.18 in winning heat one.
