LoLo Jones of the USA begins the defence of her world indoor title in the heats of the 60m hurldes in Doha (© Getty Images)
old Lolo Jones started her campaign to defend her World 60m Hurdles Indoor title on a high as she executed a clean race to comfortably win the fourth and last heat here in Doha this afternoon.
With only 25 athletes entered and 16 advancing to tomorrow’s semi-finals fast times were not necessary to secure a qualifying spot yet in sprint hurdles rhythm is the key. Fast out of the blocks Jones’ rhythm between the obstacles just made the difference and carried her through the line in 7.95, the round’s second fastest time.
“Indoors it’s all about to have a good start,” Jones confirmed. “I can manage after the last hurdle with my speed, but before that I need a smooth race. I think I will be better with each race here, there is some pressure to be the title defender.”
In Jones’ heat, all but one athlete made it through to the next round with veteran Vonette Dixon having the upper hand for second on Cuba’s Anay Tejada, the defending bronze medallist, by 7 hundredths of a second 8.04 to 8.11.
Since no woman has ever defended a world indoor title in this event, Jones is still en route to write a little history of her own although there is a handful of female sprint hurdlers who don’t really aspire at that particular bit of historical data to be achieved here in Doha.
Top of the challengers is World Indoor leader Priscilla Lopes-Schliep who medalled at both of the last major championships – bronze in Beijing and silver in Berlin. Lopes-Schliep, already a medal contender two years ago in Valencia where she crashed out of the heats, was an easy winner in heat 3 despite a poor reaction out of the blocks. The Canadian champion still clocked the fastest time today at 7.94 and if she does come out of the blocks as fast as she is used to in the next two rounds chances are the season’s fastest time of 7.82 will be improved.
“The race was good,” she said. “I had a hiccup between the start and the first hurdle. I feel great, the track is great and the competition is awesome. I am here hoping for a PB. There are so many girls out there. I hope to be luckier than in 2008 and let's see what happens,” Lopes-Schliep concluded.
Jamaica’s Lacena Golding-Clarke who had been fastest out of the blocks held on for second at 8:02 with Nadine Hildebrand grabbing the final qualifying spot at 8.10.
The opening two heats were marginally slower but don’t let this fool you; US champion Ginnie Powell (winner in heat one at 8.07) is here to grab her first major international medal. A finalist at the 2005 and 2007 World Outdoor Championships, Powell has yet to step on a global championships podium and following her win at the US nationals, Doha seems to be like her best opportunity so far.
“It was not fast enough,” Powell commented. “I am prepared to run a faster race. I do not think I had the best start.”
The second heat proved to be the closest of all races with the top four athletes finishing within 5 hundredths of a second. European Indoor champion Eline Berings shot out of the blocks like a bullet and was given the win at 8.00 ahead of Norway’s Christina Vukicevic and the 2003 winner of this competition Perdita Felicien of Canada. Aleksandra Fedoriva of Russia, the fourth fastest in the field this year, held on for the last qualifying spot at 8.05.
The semi-finals are scheduled for 4pm tomorrow and will be a whole different story.
