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News05 Mar 2008


Men's 60m Hurdles - First Round

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No one could have expected a worse scenario to unfold during the morning’s heats of what has been billed as the highlight event of the 12th World Indoor Championships, the men’s 60m Hurdles.

World leader Dayron Robles who clocked eight of the ten fastest times this winter failed to advance past the first round after erroneously thinking that World record holder Liu Xiang, running on his inside, had jumped the gun.

With the two fastest men from last year’s outdoor season Liu and Robles drawn in the same heat; it was expected that both would do just as little as needed to secure one of the four automatic qualifying positions.

Unfortunately this morning’s experience proved that nothing is ever for granted in athletics and the Cuban 21-year-old was the one to pay the price. Liu’s reaction time of 0.105 left Robles doubtful but instead of keeping on running he stopped.

Robles eventually finished the race but it was too late, the damage was done.

“I feel really sorry for Dayron,” said World and Olympic champion Liu. “I got a really fast start and I feel that this put him off. I think that it has been a lack of experience on his part because in the case of doubt it is better to continue running until you hear the second pistol. It is a shame because I wanted to run against him, he is my reference in the 60m Hurdles. Sincerely it is a real shame that we are not together in the semi finals.” 

The incident happened just a fortnight after Robles was similarly distracted in a Paris meeting and failed to finish the race.

The upset was such that little notice was paid to other qualifiers. The fastest time was clocked by national record holder Jackson Quinonez in 7.58 in heat one with US champion David Oliver running one hundredth slower in the fifth and final heat.

Other qualifiers include three-time World Indoor champion Allen Johnson, former World Indoor medallist Maurice Wignall and European silver medallist Thomas Blaschek.

Both semis and final will be run in this evening’s session.

Laura Arcoleo for the IAAF

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