| 30/08/2009 |
Nick Dakin |
Sharman & Greene Star for GB in Berlin |
William Sharman and Dai Greene took big steps forward on to the World stage in reaching their respective 110H and 400H final in the World Championships in Berlin.
For Sharman in particular it was a a massive step up in class. Having only made the GB team late on after a 13.44 PR run at Loughborough, Sharman grabbed his opportunity splendidly, running 13.52 in the heat before winning his semi final celebrating in a best ever 13.38.
The final went even better and though clearly a step back from the medallists - Bahamian Ryan Braithwaite out leaning the two more favoured Americans either side of him to win by 1/100 in 13.14 from Terrance Tramell and David Payne - Sharman sped to 13.30 for 4th place and 5th place on the UK all time list, in a result few could have predicted.
Greene had already shown prior to the games that he was a coming force at World level running sereval 48.6/7 performances. Great qualification in winning his heat 48.76 and then qualifiying with an excellent new best 48.27 in the semi final, had him emerge as a genuine medal possibility, especially with Olympic champion Angelo Taylor being Dq's in the first round and two of the meadl favouties LJ Van Zyl and Jamaican Isa Phillips both crashing out in the semi finals.
However though 7th place and 48.68 is still a fine performance for this berakthrough, Greene was not able to reproduce his semi final run as Kerron Clement confirmed is pre final status as favourite to win in 47.92, as Pueto Rican Javier Culson's timely National Record took silver in 48.09.
US trails winner Bershawn Jackson grabbed the bronze depsite stride patten problems in all three rounds as he edged out the 17 year old Trinidadian sensation Jehue Gordon whose 48.26 was also a National Record.
None of the other British hurdles progressed from the opening round Andy Turner 13.73 failing to recover fully from an injury during his pre games preapartation in the 110H and similary Gianni Frankis 13.83 and Rhys Williams 49.88 in the 400H would have needed their best form to have progressed to the semi finals.
Sarah Claxton did qualify wll for the semi final of the women's 100H with a 12.86 performanc, but crashed out in her semi final, whilst European u23 gold and silver medallists Perri Shakes Drayton and Elidh Child also made the semi finals with solid runs but were both out classed in their semi finals.
The final of the woemn's 400H saw one of the perfromances of the championships as Olympic champion Melaine Walker again showed her ability to peak superbly as matching pace with favourite Lashinda Demus, the Jamaican capitalized on a mistake by the American champion at hurdle 9 to run away to 52.42 the second fastest time ever and only just outsdie Yulia Perchnonkina's six year old World record.
Demus was also below 53 [52.98] for the silver, whilst Trinida & Tobago Josanne Lucas capped a markedly improved season with a great national record in 53.20 for the Bronze, sa the first 5 all went below 54 seconds.
Their was also jamaican hurdles success in the Women's sprint hurdles where 34 year old Brigitte Foster Hylton took gold ahead of canadian Olympic silver medallist Prisilla Loopes Schliep 13.54 and fellow Jamaican Deloreen Ennis London 13.55, as Ireland's Derval Orourke finished 4th in a new National Record 12.67 |
|
|
|
