McConnell fails to go with flow as Ohuruogu flies 400m flag

Published on Sunday 17 August 2008 23:36

LEE McConnell's hopes of making the final of the women's 400 metres faded as quickly as she did in the closing stages of her semi-final.

Drawn in the same heat as Sanya Richards and Anastasia Kapachinskaya, two of the four fastest women over the distance this year, it was the Russian who lined up one lane outside her, providing a very quick target to chase. In the end McConnell admitted she had probably gone after her too aggressively.

"I never felt like I was flowing at any point," said McConnell. "I was working too hard the whole way and paid for that towards the end of the race. I am just really disappointed. It didn't go the way we had hoped and there's nothing I can do about it now, nothing I can say about it really, that's it, it's done."

The Scot eventually crossed the line in sixth place in a time of 52.11, significantly slower than her personal best of 50.82. The 29-year-old had always said she would have to better the national record to make it into the final but had been convinced she was in the shape to manage that. The slowest qualifier progressed with a time of 50.63.

The race was won by Richards, with Kapachinskaya coming through to clinch the second qualifying place. Nicola Sanders, also failed to make the final but world champion Christine Ohuruogu won her heat to secure her place in tomorrow's showdown.

Andy Baddeley, tipped as a medal contender by Sebastian Coe, lived up to that billing by qualifying for the final of the 1,500m.

Baddeley, who is fitted with a heart monitor after suffering from cardiac arrhythmia, finished third in his semi-final in 3:37.47, the same time as France's double European champion Mehdi Baala after a photo finish.

"I'll have a good go whatever happens in the final," said the 26-year-old Wirral-born athlete. "They are the best guys in the world and that heat was loaded so I was taking no chances, my instruction was to go hard all the way to the line.

"British trio Germaine Mason, Martyn Bernard and Tom Parsons all advanced to the high-jump final, Mason and Bernard clearing 2.29m while Parsons failed at that height but went through on countback after clearing 2.25m. A revised start list had to be issued for the 400m hurdles after 2004 champion Fani Halkia failed a drugs test while preparing for the Games in Japan.

Britain's Tasha Danvers was in the second of four heats and had no problems advancing to the semi-finals, winning her heat in a time of 55.19s, comfortably an injury-plagued season's best.

Sarah Claxton also advanced to the semi-finals of the sprint hurdles after finishing third in her heat in a time of 12.97 seconds, enough to advance as one of the six fastest losers.