Andrew Pozzi in the 60m hurdles at the IAAF World Indoor Championships Birmingham 2018 (© Getty Images)
The men’s 60m hurdles finalists were decided at the opening of the sixth and final session of these championships, and as in the first round, it was Britain’s Andrew Pozzi who emerged as the fastest qualifier.
The 25-year-old European indoor champion sped to a swift 7.46 season’s best to claim the second semi-final race and to qualify for this evening’s final as the only athlete to have dipped below the 7.50 barrier.
The big home hope was followed by Milan Trajkovic of Cyprus, who registered a fine 7.51 national record for victory in the third and final semi-final.
France’s two-time world indoor runner-up Pascal Martinot-Lagarde clocked a 7.52 season’s best for the second occasion in Birmingham for the runner-up spot behind Trajkovioc, whilst his team-mate, Aurel Manga ran 7.55.
Cuba’s Roger Iribarne is enjoying a successful event, having sped to a second consecutive lifetime best after being timed at 7.59 in the first round then 7.58 for second spot in the second semi-final race.
Meanwhile, Jarrett Eaton of the USA, fourth in the 2016 edition of these championships, clocked 7.58 behind Pozzi whilst his compatriot, world record holder for the 110m hurdles and 2012 Olympic champion Aries Merritt, clocked 7.60.
The last qualifier was Brazil’s Gabriel Constantino of Brazil, who registered 7.61 for fourth place in second semi.
Of those to miss out on a final berth, some notable names included world outdoor bronze medallist Ronald Levy of Jamaica (7.62), Balazs Baji of Hungary (7.64), the Czech Republic’s Petr Svoboda (7.64) and Ahmad Al-Molad of Saudi Arabia (7.66).
Nicola Sutton for the IAAF
