Faní Halkiá certainly knows how to play to a home crowd. As American Lashinda Demus tore through the first four hurdles of the second semi-final at high speed, the Greek calmly paced herself and drew even with Demus at the contest’s halfway mark.
Then, it was all Halkiá, as the willowy blonde responded to a deafening roar from the sell-out audience and clocked an Olympic record 52.77 to suddenly move into the role of favourite for Wednesday’s final. It was the sixth-fastest performance of all-time, and it established the former high jumper as the fourth-fastest one-lap hurdler in history. It also marked her fifth national record in the last ten weeks.
Running to Halkiá’s immediate inside, two-time European champion Ionela Tîrlea-Manolache of Romania followed with determination and finished second with 53.32, just ahead of the 53.37 of Tetyana Tereshchuk of Ukraine.
Demus paid the price for her strong opening. As she skimmed the final barrier, still holding the potentially qualifying fourth position, the former World Junior champion had completely run out of power and allowed Yekaterina Bikert of Russia to slip by for the last position in the final, 53.79 to 54.32.
By comparison, the first semifinal had been a much calmer affair. The World list leader at the beginning of the evening, Sheena Johnson of the US, was confined to lane one, and she used a blazing start to hold the lead over World record holder Yuliya Pechonkina of Russia and reigning World champion Jana Pittman of Australia in the early stages.
Pechonkina pulled even with Johnson by the sixth hurdle and then powered away to the finish to win in 53.31, ahead of Pittman’s second-place 54.05.
"I ran well but it's better to slow down and get into the final in good shape," said Pittman. "I kept to my stride pattern and got close to the Russian."
Johnson remained poised and claimed third at 54.32, while her teammate Brenda Taylor slipped in for the final qualifying spot with 55.02, nipping four-time Asian champion Natalya Alimzhanova of Kazakhstan with 55.08.
"I came here to use the opportunity to improve myself," said Taylor. "Today I didn't do so but I'm in better shape than it showed. I just hope I don't get lane 1!"
EG
