Tiffany Ross-Williams, Melaine Walker and Anastasiya Rebchenyuk qualify for the 400m hurdles final (© Getty Images)
After the scare of an early disqualification in her first round heat, Sheena Tosta set the record straight winning the first of two semi finals in 54.07 and prevailing over Tasha Danvers, the woman who had beaten her yesterday evening, in the process.
Tosta had always alternated between the sprint and the intermediate hurdles until she failed to qualify for the Athens Olympic Games four years ago in the 100m Hurdles but won the 400m Hurdles American title. It proved a blessing in disguise for the then 21-year-old competing under her maiden name Johnson as she finished a superb fourth in Athens.
Four years on and Tosta looks set to improve on that result, well at least she did tonight more than she did yesterday. After admitting she had made some tactical mistakes in the heats, the US Olympic Trials runner-up was more determined not the least affected by the inside lane draw.
“I focused on my stride pattern a lot, which is what I messed up on the first time,” said Tosta. “It was a really good race, I’m quite satisfied with the outcome. Now I’m in the final, and today is a good link to the final.”
Osaka fourth placer Nickiesha Wilson was the one to go out fast, and as it turned out too fast out in lane nine, the Jamaican being unable to finish among the top four qualifying positions after she had come off the final curve in the lead.
The action in the last 50 metres came from the middle lanes as Danvers, an Olympic finalist in 2000, World bronze medallist Anna Jesien and Russian champion Ekaterina Bikert dipped to the line in this order but with only seven hundredths of a second between second and fourth.
It may sound like a petty detail given that all four advanced but finishing in the top two positions is in fact vital in the 400m Hurdles if one wants to avoid an unfavourable lane draw. As it turned out, Bikert will start in 2 and Jesien in 9 in tomorrow’s final, far from being good vantage points.
Wilson clocked 54.67 for fifth and although her time would eventually be the seventh fastest she will have to sit out the final.
Jamaica’s pride will be solely represented by world season’s leader Melaine Walker, a very comfortable heat winner in semi final two. Walker’s 55.20 was almost two seconds slower than her personal best proving the Jamaican national champion who is undefeated at 400m Hurdles this year didn’t need that much effort.
“I was impressed with my run,” said Walker. “I executed it the way I wanted, so I have to be happy. I just need to keep it together like I am now and God in Heaven will come down with the gold.”
Ukraine’s Anastasiya Rabchenyuk trailed four tenths of a second behind with US champion Tiffany Ross-Williams further back at 54.99. In fourth, former World Youth and European Junior champion Zuzana Hejnova was the last to qualify in 55.17.
Ross-Williams was visibly disappointed with her showing tonight: “Maybe I should have taken the first 200 harder. I should talk to my coach and he will tell me what to do for the final. I need to have confidence to show heart and to keep doing what I have been doing all the year.”
Certainly Walker appeared as the strongest candidate for taking what would be her country’s second Olympic gold medal in the event after Deon Hemmings’ title in 1996. However it could be anyone’s race if pre-race tactics fail, as it was the case for some.
No doubt about Walker’s race plan: “First stride out, relax, hurdle right, kick from the sixth home. I’ll tell you the truth. I’m trying to get the World record…” she concluded.
The women’s 400m Hurdles World record has never been broken at the Olympic Games and if Walker wants to make history in this sense she would need to cut more than one second off her personal best. But that is another story…
Laura Arcoleo for the IAAF
