Canada’s Tyler Christopher sixth in men’s 400 final at world championships
Friday, August 31, 2007
OSAKA, Japan – American runners swept the medals in the men’s 400-metre on Friday at the 2007 IAAF World Track and Field Championships while Tyler Christopher of Edmonton placed sixth in the race.
Defending and Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner finished in a personal best time of 43.45 seconds. LaShawn Merritt won the silver in 43.96 while Angelo Taylor was third in 44.32.
Christopher, a bronze medallist at the worlds two years ago and the current Canadian record holder, clocked 44.71.
"There were a lot of 44's, but it definitely wasn't as fast as I thought it would be," Christopher said. "It was probably as fast as I could go. The semifinal, that was a fast, fast race and I haven't run that in a couple of years and that might have taken it out of me."
In the men’s 800, Gary Reed of Victoria, ranked fifth in the world, won his semifinal in one minute 44.92 seconds, the fourth fastest time of the day. Amine Laalou was second in the heat and also advanced in 1:45.11.
‘’Tactically it was a very good race,’’ said Reed, eighth at the last worlds in 2005. ‘’I ran smart and I knew that’s what is was going to take to get to the final and try and get a medal at this event. What can I say. I’m back in the final and I’ll have one more crack at it.’’
Two medal prospects will be missing from Sunday’s final.
Defending champion Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain and his compatriot Youssef Saad Kamel, ranked third in the world, did not advance. Alfred Yego of Kenya was the fastest qualifier after winning heat one in a season-best 1:44.54 with Olympic silver medallist and this year’s fastest man, Mbulaeni Mulaudzi of South Africa second in 1:44.71.
In the women’s 1,500 semifinals Hilary Stellingwerff missed a berth in the final by half a second finishing sixth in her heat in 4:15.99. The top-five from each of the two semis gained an automatic berth to the final and Nataliya Tobias of Ukraine grabbed the last spot in Stellingwerf’s heat clocking 4:15.43.
Canada’s men’s 4X100 relay was eliminated placing seventh in its opening heat in 39.43. The Canadian runners were Richard Adu-Bobie of Ottawa, Anson Henry of Pickering, Ont., Jared Connaughton of Charlottetown and Neville Wright of Edmonton.
Scott Russell of Windsor, Ont., was eliminated in the men’s javeliln preliminaries placing 12th in his qualifying group. Nicole Forrester of was eliminated in the women’s high jump prelimaries finishing 14th in her qualifying group.
For more information:
In Osaka-
Mathieu Gentès
Team Canada Media Liaison
Athletics Canada
mgentes@athletics.ca
011-81-80-3021-6501
In Canada-
Emily Hooper
Athletics Canada
ehooper@athletics.ca
613-260-5580 ext. 3332
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