A relatively soft qualification of the fastest three in each heat plus the three fastest losers witnessed few problems for the chief protagonists.
In heat one it was all rather predictable as Russia’s Olesya Zykina, the No.1 on the 2008 World Lists, cruised to a comfortable victory.
Zykina, the 2002 European outdoor 400m champion, started aggressively and was three metres clear at the bell in 24.10 from US Championship silver medallist Moushaumi Robinson.
Robinson marginally close on Zykina on the second lap but the Russian crossed the line at 51.96 from Robinson 52.45 with Makelesi Batimala of Fiji taking the third automatic spot in 54.02
Natalya Nazarova started positively in her history breaking quest to become the first woman to land three World Indoor 400m titles by claiming a decisive victory in heat two.
American champion Shareese Woods running from the outside lane blasted through the first 200m to lead at the bell. But Nazarova used all her tactical acumen and experience to take control on lap two and stop the clock in 52.40.
The tall Ukrainian Antonia Yefremova snatched a tight battle for second in 52.64 by 0.01 from Woods.
In heat three 2007 World Championships 400m semi-finalist Amantle Montsho of Botswana showed a natural aptitude for running on the boards by winning her first ever indoor race in 52.96.
She trailed the fastest in the field, Christy Ekpukhon Ihunaegbo of Nigeria, by half a metre at the bell but battled to the head of affairs on the back stretch before forging ahead to a comfortable win. Fast-finishing Romanian Angela Morosanu was second in a season’s best 53.32 from Ihunaegbo (53.34).
Steve Landells for the IAAF
