Medal prospects look good

Elton Tucker, Assistant Editor - Sport

GUADALAJARA, Mexico:

Jamaica's team here is poised to add to the country's four-medal tally on today's fourth day of track and field at the Telmex Athletics Stadium.

Yesterday, Lansford Spence and Simone Facey reached the men's and women's 200 metres finals, respectively, with top-three times, while Isa Phillips is the second-fastest going into the 400 metres hurdles final.

Spence won the third of three 200m metres semi-finals in a personal best 20.33 seconds, lowering the 20.41 he set at this year's National Championships.

The strong, far-striding Spence, a former national 400 metres champion, said he has a lot more to give in today's final.

"I am feeling pretty good. In this semi-final, I ran the first 100 metres and then tried to save something for the final coming up tomorrow," Spence said.

Like many of the other Jamaican competitors, he complained of breathing problems, but said yesterday he was "working on that and tomorrow will speak for itself".

Jason Livermore was eliminated after placing third in semi-final two in 20.76. The heat was won in 20.35 by Brazil's Bruno Debarros, with Roland Palacios of Honduras taking second in 20.70.

The fastest qualifier going into today's men's 200 metres final is Cuba's Roberto Skyers, who won semi-final one in 20.31. Sandro Viana of Brazil placed second in 20.39 and Ecuador's Alex Quinonez was third in 20.41.

While the men ran two rounds before the final the women have run just one. Facey placed second in semi-final one in 22.99 behind Brazil's Ana DaSilva, who clocked 22.72, the fastest time of the round. Cuba's Nelkis Casabona won the second semi-final in 23.34. Jamaica's Anaastasia LeRoy placed fifth in 23.68 and was eliminated.

Phillips did not extend himself in winning his 400m hurdles heat in 49.62. The fastest qualifier going into the final is Cuba's Omar Cisneros, who won semi-final three in a season-best 48.99.

Patricia Hall, running out of lane eight, ran a more conservative race than she did in the 400 metres heats, but still faded in the straight for a disappointing seventh in the final. Pre-race favourite, Yenifer Padilla of Colombia, won gold in 51.53 seconds. Silver went to Cuba's Daysiurami Bonne in 51.69, while the bronze medallist was Brazil's Geisa Coutinho, 51.87.

In two other finals yesterday, Jamaica's representatives were out of the medals. High jumper Kimberley Williams had three misses at 1.81 metres, her best being 1.78 metres, which she cleared at her second attempt for an eighth-place finish. The gold medal went to Cuba's Lesyani Mayor with a best of 1.89m, the same height as silver medallist, Venezuela's Marielis Royas, and bronze medal winner, Mexico's Maria Rifka.

LONG JUMP DISAPPOINTMENT

Long jumpers Yanique Levy, 5.81m, and Nickevea Wilson, 5.44m, were 12th and 13th, respectively, in the final won by Brazil's Maureen Maggin with 6.94m.

Meanwhile, track and field manager George Peryer said that a broken bone in his right foot kept shot putter Odayne Richards out of the final yesterday.

"First of all, he was injured before the actual event, but he went and threw in practice and did not feel anything so he thought he was okay. However, during his warm-up throws for the event he felt the pain again on the right foot just above the instep. He went to the medical people, they took an X-ray and explained to him that he had a another crack."

Overall, Peryer was satisfied with the performances so far.

"These guys, I think, have worked very hard and they have done their best. We now have potential medallists in Phillips in the 400m hurdles and in the men's and women's 200m. We also have the relays coming up. We expect to do very well in the men's 4x100m," Peryer said.