Kerron Clement gets his title defence campaign under way in Daegu (© Getty Images)
Daegu, Korea - The main talking point in the opening round was the continued indifferent form of defending champion Kerron Clement. True, the American scrambled into tomorrow’s semi-finals, but, quite frankly, he looked far from convincing.
Clement, who so far this season has looked a shadow of the man who has landed the last two World 400m Hurdles titles, went out quickly in heat two and rounded the final bend at the head of affairs alongside L.J Van Zyl, the South African.
But whereas Van Zyl, the world leader, seemingly effortlessly pulled out a lead down the home straight, Clement faded and stuttered badly approaching the final hurdle. He did manage to grab the fourth and final automatic qualification spot in 48.91 but will have to run much better in the semi-finals if he is to keep alive the dream of a hat-trick of titles.
Van Zyl, meanwhile, looked slick taking the heat win in 48.58 ahead of Felix Sanchez, the two-time former World champion of the Dominican Republic, who lodged a season’s best 48.74.
The opening heat witnessed the fastest time of the round as Great Britain’s David Greene edged South Africa’s Cornel Fredericks in a photograph after both were awarded the same time of 48.52.
Fredericks, the African silver medallist, ran aggressively from the gun and could afford to ease down coming off the final hurdle. Greene, the European champion, ran the opposite way preferring a conservative first half of the race before finishing with a flourish. German Georj Fleischhauer took third to advance in 48.72 – notably 0.78 quicker than his previous lifetime best.
The two quality performers in heat three also came through unscathed. Javier Culson, the 2009 World silver medallist, of Puerto Rico, smoothly took victory in 48.95 with two-time Olympic champion Angelo Taylor of the USA looking as if he had plenty to spare, taking second in 49.38.
Former World champion Bershawn Jackson booked his ticket for the semi-final courtesy of a heat two victory in 49.82. The American, known as Batman, finished just ahead of Jehue Gordon (49.90), the 19-year Trinidadian, who finished fourth at the last World Championships in Berlin.
Behind, Jack Green survived a scare to qualify. The teenager clattered through the final hurdle almost stumbled to the ground but the Briton kept his balance to claim the fourth and final automatic qualification spot in 50.39.
US champion Jeshua Anderson brushed aside the demands of running in the awkward lane one to bank heat five victory in 48.81. Great Britain’s Nathan Woodward running out in lane seven also looked unperturbed grabbing second in 49.06. Both will take place in the semi-finals where the challenge is expected to step up a notch or two.
Steve Landells for the IAAF
