Jamaican Merlene Ottey, the 1993 and 1995 world champion recorded the fastest time of today’s semifinals of the 200 metres by winning the 2nd heat in 22.26. Ottey looked very relaxed and always in control of the race, and in Friday’s final will not face the woman who beat her at the 1996 Olympic games, France’s Marie-Jose Perec who withdrew from the 1st semifinal due to an injury.
Second in Ottey’s semifinal was Sri Lanka’s Susanthika Jayasinghe who set an Asian record for the 2nd time in these championships, with 22.33. Third was the 1996 world junior champion, France’s Sylvianne Felix (22.57) and 4th, Russian Yekaterina Leshchova, with 22.59.
The 1997 U.S. champion Inger Miller won the 1st heat in 22.59 (wind -2.3). Second was the 100 metres silver medallist, Ukrainian Zhanna Pintusevich with 22.65, 3rd Russian Marina Trandenkova (22.69), and 4th Oceania’s record holder and 1995 world indoor champion, Australian Melinda Gainsford-Taylor with 22.70.
Greece’s Ekaterini Koffa was 5th in the 2nd heat with a season’s best of 22.70, but didn’t advance to the final.
