(L-R) Christin Wurth-Thomas of United States, Kalkidan Gezahegne of Ethiopia, Anna Alminova of Russia, Sylwia Ejdys of Poland and Sonja Roman of Slovenia in the women's 1500m heats in Berlin (© Getty Images)
It was cheers for the main medal contenders as they all achieved a straight forward qualification but tears for one or two others who were casualties of the sometimes physical nature of middle-distance running.
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[Update 14:30 CET (GMT + 2) - Two Referee decisions were taken, without the intervention of the Jury of Appeal, following the 1500m Women Heats.
Referee Decision – 1500m WOMEN Heat 1
An incident occurred in Heat 1 of the 1500m Women, involving USA athlete Shannon ROWBURY (bib number 1023) and Ethiopian athlete Meskerem ASSEFA (bib number 321). The Referee, after examining the video of the race, concluded that US athletes Shannon Rowbury had been disadvantaged by the incident, and would be allowed to proceed to the next round. Ethiopian athlete Meskerem Assefa, who was qualified by right, will also proceed to the next round, as the incident was not her fault.
Referee Decision – 1500m WOMEN Heat 2
An incident occurred in Heat 1 of the 1500m Women, involving Kenyan athlete Irene JELAGAT (bib number 587) and French athlete Hind DEHIBA CHAHYD (bib number 350). The Referee, after examining the video of the race, concluded that French athlete Hind Dehiba Chahyd had been disadvantaged by the incident, and would be allowed to proceed to the next round. The Kenyan team was present when the video was examined, and agreed that Kenyan athlete Irene Jelagat had fallen on her own and was not jostled by other athletes. ]
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The fact that the world's top three athletes - Maryam Jamal, Gelete Burka and Anna Alminova - won their respective heats reaffirmed our suspicions that the battle for the medals may be between the trio.
Jamal ran a smart tactical race to land a tight heat one in 4:08.77 - a race in which just 1.15 separated the first ten athletes.
US champion Shannon Rowbury took a tumble after just 200m and although she hauled herself from the track and quickly re-joined the main pack, the fall cost her and she wound up 11th in 4:10.30 and did not progress.
Russia's Oksana Zbrozhek took the field through 800m in 2:17.52, but by the bell Spain's Nuria Fernandez was at the head of affairs. Entering the home straight up to 11 women were in with a genuine chance of qualifciation.
However, it was Jamal who proved fleetest of foot to take the heat win. Behind her in automatic qualification positions were Fernadez (4:08.79) Ethiopia's Meskerem Assefa (4:08.86), Mariem Alaoui Selsouli (4:08.86) of Morocco, Olympic Silver medallist Iryna Lishchynska of Ukraine (4:08.95) and Irina Krakoviak of Lithuania (4:08.96).
Viola Kibiwot of Kenya and former European Indoor 1500m champion Lidia Chojecka of Poland also qualified from this heat as one of the six fastest losers.
There was no place, however, in Friday's semi-finals for Zbrozhek, the early leader, from Russia who finished ninth in 4:09.84.
Heat two was also an accident prone affair, but Gelete Burka managed to avoid the carnage on the penultimate lap to take heat two victory in 4:07.75.
Burka took the field through 800m in 2:16.81 but 550m out Irene Jegalat of Kenya and France's Hind Dehiba Chahyd were caught in a tangle and crashed to the track.
Burka was challenged by Spain's Natalia Rodriguez, but the World Indoor champion from Ethiopia proved too strong and Rodriguez had to be satisfied with second in 4:07.84.
The other automatic qualifiers were Great Britain's Olympic fourth-placer Lisa Dobriskey (4:07.84), Natalya Evdokimova of Russia (4:08.06), Anna Willard of the USA (4:08.06) and Btissam Lakhouad of Morocco (4:08.21). Also progressing as fast losers were European Indoor 3000m champion Mimi Bekele of Bahrain (4:08.36) and Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand (4:09.60).
In a less bruising heat three, Russian's Anna Alminova cruised to victory in 4.08.13 - 0.03 ahead of Olympic champion Nancy Langat.
Christin Wurth-Thomas of the USA took the field through 800m in 2:18.40 tracked by Alminova, the European Indoor 1500m champion. Wurth-Thomas still led at the bell but the classy Russian ran out heat winner.
Ethiopia's Kalkidan Gezahegne was third (4:08.23) followed by Wurth-Thomas (4:08.23) Poland's Sylwia Ejdys (4:08.59) with Sonja Roman of Slovenia grabbing the sixth and final automatic qualifying spot in 4:08.65. Anna Mishchenko of Ukraine (4:09.26) and Iris Fuentes-Pila of Spain (4:09.71) also advanced as fast losers.
Steve Landells for the IAAF
