Yuliya Nesterenko launched the track proceedings of the 2004 Games in stunning fashion after blazing to a 10.94 (w +0.9) win in the morning’s second heat of the 100 metres, the year’s second-fastest performance. Ahead from the gun, the 25-year-old Belarussian, who dashed to a bronze medal at the World Indoor Championships in March, knocked 7/100s of a second from her own national record set during her win in Rethimno in late June.
Officially beginning her competition in an unprecedented seventh Olympic Games, 44-year-old Merlene Ottey of Slovenia was a distant second behind Nesterenko, clocking 11.14 after coasting through the final 15 metres. It was the Jamaican-born sprinter’s second fastest performance of the season. Russian Larisa Kruglova was third, equaling her PB of 11.23 to move on automatically as well.
No major surprises or notable non-qualifiers emerged from the field of 64 entrants.
The action began with Jamaican Aleen Bailey’s 11.20 win in the first heat, just ahead of Veronique Mang of France (11.24 – PB) and 2004 Bahamian Golden Girl Debbie Ferguson (11.30).
American Lauryn Williams (11.06) won the third heat easily, ahead of 38-year-old Russian Irina Khabarova (11.32) and Trinidad’s Fana Ashby (11.43). Another Russian, Yuliya Tabakova won the fourth heat in 11.22, ahead of Jamaican hope Sherone Simpson (11.27) and Bahamian two-time Olympian Chandra Sturrup (11.37). Hobbled by injury throughout the spring and summer, Sturrup had raced only once prior to her arrival in Athens.
U.S. champion LaTasha Collander took heat five in 11.31, with Endurance Ojokolo of Nigeria (11.36) and Natasha Mayers (11.45) advancing automatically as well. Jamaican Veronica Campbell won heat six in 11.17, ahead of Zhanna Block (11.25) and two-time Olympic champion Gail Devers (11.29). It was the first race for Block, the 2001 World champion, since her 11.25 performance in Lausanne on 6 July.
Ghanaian Vida Anim broke her own national record with her win in heat seven, clocking 11.14, and barely edging European record holder Christine Arron of France, who was credited with the same time. Belgian champion Kim Gevaert was third (11.18).
World leader Ivet Lalova won the final heat with an easy 11.16, over Britain ’s Abiodun Oyepitan (11.23).
The top three from the eight heats and the next eight fastest finishers advance to tonight’s quarter finals. The heat, which granted visitors to Athens a brief respite in recent days, returned in full force today. Temperatures rose steadily throughout the morning session, reaching beyond 31 degrees centigrade by noon.
BR
