Maja Ciric in the 400m heats at the IAAF World Indoor Championships Birmingham 2018 (© Getty Images)
It must be a great feeling to go into a major championships in the form of your life and Lea Sprunger’s beaming smile following her comfortable victory in the second of six 400m heats spoke volumes.
The Swiss athlete, the IAAF World Indoor Tour winner following three unbeaten performances in 2018, strode past the Netherlands’ Madiea Ghafoor to hit the front at the bell in 24.49 and maintained her long strides for the second half of the race to win in 52.46.
The 27-year-old was one of the more impressive qualifiers for the semifinals that take place later on Friday, while the USA’s Courtney Okolo was the only athlete to break the 52-second barrier.
The US indoor champion is the quickest athlete in the field on 2018 form following her 51.16 clocking in Albuquerque and showed that she may well be the athlete to beat in Birmingham, taking the first heat in 51.54.
Such is the 23-year-old’s confidence, she was content to allow Greece’s Maria Belimpasaki to lead for 300m before easing past her on the back straight before crossing the line with minimum fuss.
Okolo’s teammate Shakima Wimbley adopted a different tactic in heat four, but achieved a similar result. The world 4x400m gold medallist hit the front early on and was never challenged on her way to a 52.43 clocking. Lithuania’s Agne Serksniene set a national indoor record of 52.81 in second place.
The hardy home supporters were rewarded for their journey to the stadium with qualifications from Great Britain’s Zoey Clarke, who won heat three in 52.75, and Eilidh Doyle, who was a comfortable second in heat five behind Jamaica’s Olympic finalist Stephanie Ann McPherson, whose 52.18 was the second fastest qualifying performance.
McPherson’s compatriot Tovea Jenkins also qualified, winning the final heat in 53.39.
Dean Hardman for the IAAF
